Halloween Hoots and Howls (Henry Holt Young Readers) [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by Joan Horton (Author) "I'm dressing up for Halloween-Don't want to be a bat..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In zesty, candy-corny poems from a first-time author, a witch places an ad for a "Turbo broomstick (colorAjet)/ With dual exhausts. FM cassette." Dr. Frankenstein shops for heads of cabbage and ears of corn, and a top-notch "Halloweeny Quiz" offers 10 diverting riddle-couplets that work as verse and as a game. The mixed-media cartoons, on white or airbrush-speckled backgrounds, anticipate but never upstage the inventive punch lines. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-A deliciously silly collection of Halloween poems, rhymes, and jokes. The cover sports the profile of an appropriately green witch with blue lips and sufficiently hairy warts. Her wide grin promises laughter within. In fact, some of the more clever rhymes appear just inside the front and back covers as tombstone epitaphs. For example, "Beneath this slab lies Lennie Lixer. He fell into a concrete mixer. Poor stiff," and "Danny Dimm was not too bright. He ate a stick of dynamite. Rest in Pieces." Longer poems include "Woe Is Me," which chronicles the indignant complaints of an unwilling pumpkin turned jack-o'-lantern, and "There's a Spider on the Ceiling," which describes a speedy and spooky accumulation of spiders in a child's room. The selections have a perfect mix of fright and humor and are most effective when read aloud. Strikingly stylized, angular illustrations are combined with a clever layout. The poem "When a Skeleton Gets Creaky," which recommends a "liniment and coffin syrup" for "aching bones," is set within an illustration of a medicine bottle, and "Bedtime," which warns of hungry "beasties," appears on the coverlet of a coffin-shaped bed with skeleton-head bedposts. Adinolfi's choice of color (shades of green, purple, and orange) also creates a jaunty playfulness. A festive addition to any collection serving young trick-or-treaters.
Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (October 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805058052
• ISBN-13: 978-0805058055
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,119,075 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Halloween Hoots and Howls, March 26, 2000

By A Customer

Author and artist are perfectly matched in this brilliant collection of Halloween poems. The green-faced, blue-haired, grinning witch on the cover tempts adults and children alike to open the book, sample the witty epitaphs on the endpapers ("Here lies the body of Jeremy Victor. He shouldn't have hugged his boa constrictor. Sleep tight"), and chuckle their way through the book. All kinds of ghoulish creatures cavort their way through the pages, and the poems, a delicious mix of scary and funny, are winners.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So funny it is scary!, November 18, 2002

By A Customer

Although chronologically I qualify as an adult, I enjoy most goods geared toward children with much glee. That held especially true with this book. This year was my daughters first Halloween. The two of us had such fun reading this book together. The rhymes made it easy to narrate in a sing songy fashion. That, coupled with the length of the writings, made this a perfect read for both of us. I didn't pack this book away with the rest of my Halloween decorations, it will remain out all year!

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!, October 28, 2007

By	Laurie A. Carter "Library Goddess" (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful book for Halloween fun for younger children. It has monsters, but isn't too scary. Having simple rhymes and meter, I found this to be the perfect introduction to poetry for my 5 year old grandson.