Littlebat's Halloween Story [School & Library Binding]

Diane Mayr (Author), Gideon Kendall (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Littlebat, who lives with his mother in the attic of the public library, loves to poke his head through a hole in the attic floor and listen to the librarian read stories to the children. One day, while listening to a story about a butterfly, he gets so excited by the picture in the book that he loses his grip. As he plummets into the room below, the children scream and the librarian shoos him away with her book. "Mama!" Littlebat cries as he zooms back to the safety of the attic. Littlebat's mother says he must not go close to a book again. "Never?" asks Littlebat. "Well...maybe there's a time when it can be done," his mother says, relenting. "You must wait for changes." So Littlebat waits. The seasons slowly change, from spring to summer to fall. At last the nights are longer and cooler and the leaves have turned red and gold. Pumpkins appear. It's time!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-A charming story of a young bat that loves to listen to stories at the library. Littlebat lives in the building's attic with his mother and a host of other bats. He falls asleep in a corner over a ceiling vent, and awakens hours later to the sounds of storytime. He loves this ritual, and is fascinated with what he hears, but he's frustrated because he can't see the pictures. He is contented to just listen until the day he sees a giant moth on the page the librarian is reading and swoops down to eat this delectable morsel. Of course, this action frightens all the preschoolers gathered there. His mother reassures Littlebat that a day will come when he, too, will be able to see the books being read without scaring anyone away. Seasons pass, and the little creature waits patiently until that moment comes. This story has enough suspense to keep readers anticipating what day the animal will finally get to see the pictures and enough tension to keep readers firmly on his side. Kendall's illustrations accurately depict the bats and the cheerful library they inhabit. This story does much to dispel the myths that surround bats. Any librarian would be glad to have these creatures in their library (at least on paper).

Susan Marie Pitard, formerly at Weezie Library for Children, Nantucket Atheneum, MA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-6. Peering out from a hole in the ceiling, Littlebat loves listening to the librarian reading to children below. But he's too far away to make out the pictures, and his mother warns him that it's too dangerous to show himself. Will he ever be able to see them up close? "'You must wait for changes,'" says his mother mysteriously. So Littlebat waits, as the seasons, the bulletin board displays, and the leaves all change. At last comes a storytime where the rapt young listeners are in costume, a jack-o-lantern glows atop a shelf, and one small bat hanging over the librarian's head just seems part of the decor. Littlebat is no Stellaluna, but like the African American librarian in Kendall's warm-toned illustrations, he's all smiles and amiability. Children who delight in sharing stories will find kindred spirits here, and with plenty of clear visual cues both inside and outside the airy children's library to mark passing seasons and holidays, this is a natural candidate for thematic programs as well as Halloween story hours. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807576298
• ISBN-13: 978-0807576298
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,524,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hurrah for little bat, August 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Littlebat's Halloween Story (School & Library Binding)

Everyone will recognise the child in little bat, excited and wanting to do more, but restricted because of circumstances. When kids are excited, they push what they are allowed to do to the very edge. Little bat leans out closer and closer to hear and see the storyhour book and discovers that he has gone too far. Though patience is a hard learned lesson, in the end little bat does get to see as well as hear the coveted books. For children raised on library story hours, this book brings a special surprise to their weekly visits.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, November 9, 2007

By 

K. E. Leonhardt "Teacher of the Little People" (Edwardsville, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Littlebat's Halloween Story (School & Library Binding)

I teach Pre-K and my kids loved this book. I used it as a part of a unit on bats, and they voted to hear this story again as their favorite book of the week. The illustrations are large, colorful, and eye-catching. The story is wonderful as well- many of my kids gasped when Littlebat fell through the hole. It was a good fiction book to accompany the overwhelming amounts of non-fiction books I found on bats. I highly recommend this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Littlebat's halloween Story, September 26, 2011

By 

Mrs. Readalot - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Littlebat's Halloween Story (School & Library Binding)

This book was a wonderful book to share in a lower grade library session. The story is enduring and the illustrations are great. I shared this book at one of my Media district meetings, and many of the librarians are ordering it. This book is about a little bat that discovers the library and wants to go in and listen to the stories being read. But his mother warns him that it is not safe to be seen. So she tells him to wait until the changes, and then she will tell him when it is the right time to go into the library. Very cute book and perfect to read in a library setting.