The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin

My box of Halloween decorations includes a few 

Halloween books, and Spookley has become a 

yearly tradition. 

Both my boys know how Spookley’s odd shape 

became an asset one stormy night in the pumpkin patch.

I had no idea Spookley’s fame had gone beyond our box 

until Sunday when I saw a dvd of his adventures playing 

on the television at a party.

So many books celebrate the value of being different

that you’d think we’d all believe it by now. The trick is to remember all the little ways differences can help see the world in new and sometimes wonderful ways. 

If that’s not enough of a treat for you, curl up with Spookley

or Shadow and the Halloween Party (another from our box)

Today's Book:

The Legend of Spookley, the Square Pumpkin

 Written by Joe Troiano and Illustrated by Susan Banks.
Happy Halloween!
- Spectrum Mom

Halloween Monster Books for All Ages

Two books today that should fit the Halloween needs of most boggarts and ghouls, sorry,  I mean boys and girls.

The Sleepless Little Vampire by Richard Egielski

is an unscary Halloween charmer that should appeal
to fans of simple picture books, onomotapoeia, 
and reversals.

The little vampire listens to the bats flitting, 
"FLAPPITY!-FLAP!” and “the cockroaches crawling

SCRATCHITY-SCRATCH!” and all the other nocturnal creatures wondering if it is the noise keeping him 
awake, until he finally remembers why he cannot sleep 
at night.

Egielski places white text on the left and the picture on the right on black pages. As the creatures increase, the pictures expand across the center until dawn lightens the pages and they all go to sleep. Your little goblins may not comment on this clever design, but the effect is calming and the story

ends with the reassuring message that no matter how

different you are, you are normal for you.

For children who enjoy poetry, rotting heads, and zombies,

I recommend Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex.

My twelve year old does too:

“This is funny stuff. The part that made me laugh was 'An Edgar Allen Poem.'”

The book is full of puns and ends with this haiku for 

the monster sticklers among you:

"He knows Frankenstein's

the doctor, not the monster.

Enough already."

If your kid loves this one, check out Rex's website.