Scary, Scary Halloween (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Jan Brett (Illustrator) "A skeleton, with bones so white..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two green eyes shine in the night sky and someone whispers, "I peer outside, there's something there/ that makes me shiver, spikes my hair./ It must be Halloween." As the unnamed narrator looks on, a skeleton, a ghost, a vampire, a werewolf, witches, goblins, gremlins, a devil and a mummy pass by. The monsters are in fact children dressed up in Halloween costumes, but Brett's pictures are deliciously scary. They strike a perfect balance between the children's costumes and their imaginary personae, drawing readers into a make-believe world. When the children go indoors, the narrator and his friendsa gang of adventurous pussycatsstalk the streets to prowl till dawn. Luminescent colors glow eerily in the darkened neighborhood; this holiday poem possesses all the atmosphere of the spookiest Halloween.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3 A Halloween offering that is sure to be snatched up year-round by children on the prowl for scary books. The rhymes are full of repetitions that give the text the quality of a chant. These marching rhythms advance a band of Halloween creatures along a winding country road. Bunting's strong verbs and Brett's clean, clear line drawings and vivid palette bring a devil, skeleton, ghost, etc., to life, and the effect is exciting but not in the least sinister or fear-inspiring. (Bunting's language does become a bit turgid at points, however.) The creatures are a troupe of spirited trick-or-treaters, but this is not known by the mother cat who tells story. Nor are readers aware of the identity of the narrator at the beginning. But as the parade progresses, and three more little eyes appear in the dark, readers begin to get a sense of those eyes warily watching the spectacle from a safe distance. Brett creates skillful shifts in visual perspective and effectively interprets the book's final turnabout: the tiny eyes, mere points of light, clustered under a house, are hidden so long as the trick-or-treaters are about. But when all is quiet, they suddenly blossom into cats that form their own parade and claim Halloween, just as the rising golden harvest moon at the book's beginning blossoms into a milky moon above them. Carefully planned and executed, illustrations and text nicely unified, this is well designed for group use and a fine introduction to Halloween story programs. Susan Powers, Berkeley Carroll Street School, Brooklyn
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 22, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899194141
• ISBN-13: 978-0899194141
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #827,595 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I still know the book by heart...14 years later!, October 26, 2001

By	margie (Floral Park, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scary, Scary Halloween (Paperback)

we bought this book when my son was about 3 years old. he immediately memorized every word, every sound we made when we read it together, and every picture. he used to lay in bed "reading" it to everyone (with voice inflections, too!). i still know the book by heart, and it brings back wonderful memories every time i see it. i buy it for every child i know each halloween. enjoy!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My almost 3 year old memorized in a couple of days!, November 4, 2003

By	hcabats "hcabats" (Barrington, Rhode Island - USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Scary, Scary Halloween (Paperback)

My son is just turning 3 and borrowed this book from the library to get him excited about Halloween ...did it ever! We didn't know how much he was taking it in until one night when we were very tired and reading it to him...we stopped to yawn and he filled in the rest of the story in a very scary scary halloween whispered voice! So much fun - we are buying it! GREAT pictures and colors that go right along with a GREAT story! I will probably buy this for all my niece and nephews for next Halloween!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intiguing illustrations make students beg for more., October 17, 1999

By	Becky (Pendleton, SC) - See all my reviews

As a teacher, Eve Bunting and Jan Brett are my favorites. The illustrations bring the story to life and it is just scary enough for the very young. In this day and time however; when I read the book to my kindergarten children I usually paraphrase "in praise of Halloween" and "on hallowed Halloween" just because I don't want to upset parents.