Customer Reviews

By the Light of the Halloween Moon (Picture Puffins)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a cumulative rhyming story that begins with a child's pair of bare feet dangling peacefully over the side of a bridge in the silvery moonlight of a Halloween night. One by one, various creatures of the night reach forward to grab one of the little, unsuspecting toes, but each attempt, in turn, is botched by the next creature. Black cats, bats, witches, ghouls and other spooky folk take a crack at the toe and the suspense keeps building in a delightfully fun and entertaining way. The Halloween creatures are all so funny that this story really cannot be considered at all scary but the level of suspense takes it out of the realm of the cute and deftly places it in the realm of the spine-tingly! It's high spirited Halloween fun for one and all.

Like most 4 year olds, my son loves scary stories. Just as typically, he freaks out if the scary stories turn out to be, well, scary. This is a perfect scary-but-not-really story that's been our number one bedtime read for several months now. The cumulative (every page repeats the previous page and adds a line) poetic structure does a lot to hold his interest, as do the wonderfully goofy pictures. Lots of fun.

We have checked this book out many times from the library and have found it a pleasure everytime. The illustrations are wonderful and the text rhymes enough to keep even my smallest child interested. The story line is about Halloween characters catching sight of a little girls toe as it is visable 'By the Light of the Halloween Moon' . Each wants this toe for himself/herself but is foiled but another creature coming upon the same scene. Lots of fun and a good book to read with your children.

My kids have enjoyed this book since they were tiny - I had to order another one because it was falling apart from overuse. Actually I ordered (4) - one for us to keep using and one for each of their memory boxes to read to their kids someday!

This wonderful book has just the right mix of whimsy, rhyme and shiver to make it a great choice to read aloud on a cool night in October. Appropriate for even the youngest boys and ghouls, the text and pictures build on each other to a satisfying finish.

I loved this delightfully written book. It focuses on a little girl who happens to be sitting at the edge of an old bridge and has her bare feet dangling from it. Soon, her toe, draws the attentions of a variety of ghosts and ghouls who vie for it's ownership. The story is set to a familiar style of poetry, "I knew an old lady who swallowed a fly...".
This books beautiful illistrations are set to a black background with rich, deep tones of greens and blues. A funny, heartwarming story for every age group.

Caroline Stutson, By the Light of the Halloween Moon (Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard Books, 1993)

A fun little book that's headed for classic status, By the Light of the Halloween Moon is one that your kids will want to hear over and over again. Stutson gives the reader a solid rhythm (that never becomes too repetitive, at least not for the first twenty or so times in a row your kids will beg for it), a fun cast of characters who might not be familiar to the kids, and a great resolution. Make yourself up a little tune to go with the words and the kids will be singing along with you in no time. *** ½

This is hands down our favorite Halloween book. We read and read our first copy until all the pages fell out! So we ordered another one.

Everyone in our family adores this book. It's got the singsongy rythym children love, great (if gholish) illustrations and a great message.

Message? Yes--- two, actually.
The story presents the supernatural world as a reality. However, it also shows the main character (the little girl) as being just as powerful as the supernatural creatures who 'threaten' her--- moreso, as all it takes is for her to say 'go away!) for them to leave her alone.

In addition, it teaches that a child's body is his/her own, and s/he has a right to tell people not to touch it. Subtlely done, but still enforced.

Great book. I'd recommend it to all, and hope it gets back into print.