Creepy Books by Aaron Reynolds in the Library

This past week was "Creepy Week" in the library. I decided to start a bit of a tradition during Halloween week and read all three of Aaron Reynolds' and Peter Brown's books in the "Creepy" series. 

I read Creepy Carrots with 1st grade, Creepy Pair of Underwear with 2nd grade, and Creepy Crayon with grades 3-5. This is the order of publication and I kept them in order, even though they can stand alone, because the last 2 books have an "Easter egg" from the previous books. Jasper Rabbit is an endearing character and the "creepy" characters have a silliness to them that draw students in without scaring them. 

Although some of the students had read the books, or some of them, they still enjoyed the stories. I used the soundscapes from Novel Effect which added just the right amount of effect of music, sounds and brief dialogue without overpowering the story. 

 

We are currently working on tracking fiction stories, story elements, and orally summarizing. These stories lend themselves perfectly to this work as the problems are obvious and Jasper tries several things to get rid of the creepy characters without success until he finally gets rid of them or solves them problem in some way. 

After checkout I like to have choices for the students. This week they could design their own carrots, underwear and a crayon bookmark from templates included in the Novel Effect resources. 

The most popular choice was the STEM challenge to build a trap to capture the creepy characters. The students were provided different building supplies and they were able to design and build their prototypes. I do not have a makerspace, but I do have a small collection of building supplies and consumables and I am trying to be more intentional about using them. 

A successful read aloud, in my opinion, leaves students wanting to read more from the author or stories similar to the read aloud. These books were checked out right away on Friday and I am fairly certain that they will not be on the shelves for a while. It was a fun week for sure. 

Sammy's Spooktacular Halloween by Mike Petrik

Sammy's Spooktacular Halloween 
by Mike Petrik
Published July, 2018
Two Lions
Hardcover Picture Book
Fiction
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Sammy loves Halloween: the candy, the pumpkins, the scares. So when he gets the chance to be in charge of the family’s next haunted house, he gets right to work—even though it’s only November. Suddenly Sammy’s inventions are scare-ifying his family day and night, even on Christmas and Easter! Sammy knows he’s on his way to making a spooktacular haunted house, but his family isn’t so sure they can take a full year of his tricks…


My Thoughts
Oh boy does Sammy love Halloween! He is determined to make Halloween last all year long and goes a bit overboard with some of his scary tricks. After he puts out the 4th of July barbecue with water while pretending to be Frankenstein, his family has finally had enough. His siblings decide that not all of his ideas were bad and they team up to work together to create the best haunted house by Halloween.

The cartoonish illustrations will be very appealing to young readers. The characters have big heads and eyes on thinner bodies and the pages are filled with bright color.

I would recommend Sammy's Spooktacular Halloween most for grades 1-3.

Check out the book trailer.

See what others have to say about this book:
Kirkus
Publishers Weekly

Pug and Pig trick or Treat by Sue Lowell Gallion and Joyce Wan

Pug and Pig trick or Treat 
by Sue Lowell Gallion 
Illustrated by Joyce Wan
Published July 2017
Beach Lane Books
Hardcover
40 pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Pug and Pig are back for a heartwarming Halloween adventure in this adorable picture book that’s perfect for pet lovers of all ages.
Halloween night has come to Pug and Pig’s house, and the darling duo is sporting matching costumes. The costumes are cozy. They glow in the dark. And they have masks! There’s only one problem—Pug hates wearing his. So he decides to rip it up and stay home. But Halloween just isn’t any fun for Pig without Pug! Can Pug find a way to be a good friend and get back into the Halloween spirit?

My Thoughts

So, so cute!! I first met and fell in love with Pug and Pig in their first book, Pug Meets Pig. See my review here. 

This book is just as sweet as the twosome try to dress up for Halloween. Pug hates his mask and Pig doesn't want to trick-or-treat without his buddy. Finally, Pug comes up with a clever idea that works for both of them. 

This book encourages little ones to examine friendships and what happens when one friend wants something and the other does not. What does it mean to compromise? These are issues that arise continually throughout childhood (and life) and this book provides a platform for discussion.

As I said in my last review, the illustrations are just perfect! These chunky little characters are beyond adorable. Each page is filled with simple colors and illustrations that kids will love.

Image from Simonandschuster.com

I would highly recommend this book (and its prequel) for ages 2-6.  I hope there are more Pug and Pig books to come!

Pug and Pig Trick-or-Treat has earned starred reviews from:

Publishers Weekly
Kirkus

Visit Sue Lowell Gallion's website
Visit Joyce Wan's website

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A Teeny Tiny Halloween by Lauren L. Wohl and Henry Cole

A Teeny Tiny Halloween 
by Lauren L. Wohl and Henry Cole
Published September 13, 2016
Persnickety Press
32 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher.

Goodreads Summary

It happens every fall. The leaves from the tall trees that surround her house drift down until the teeny tiny woman’s teeny tiny house is buried completely. Inside it’s dark and a teeny tiny bit scary, but the resourceful woman has a plan and a few surprises up her teeny tiny sleeve.

Written to be shared through read-aloud or story-telling, the type face indicates where the teller should be whispering and when suddenly s/he should shout – surprising the listeners, even causing them to jump, which puts this book in the realm of jump-tales, so popular at spooky-story times like Halloween and around the campfire on summer evenings. Short enough for even young children to remember after reading or hearing the story a few times, the book encourages children themselves to tell the tale themselves, making a family tradition.

Former Disney Publishing executive, Lauren L. Wohl, tells an all-new story starring a favorite character from folklore with an autumnal chill and a special treat that brings the book to a perfect-for-Halloween ending. Children will want to return to the teeny tiny house again and again to enjoy Henry Cole’s illustrations that capture the mood and the humor of the tale.

My Thoughts

The Teeny-Tiny Woman is a folktale classic. This book features the small character in a fall/Halloween story. The summary does a nice job retelling the story. The woman does some creative things to try to get the attention of anyone who might be able to find her house after it gets buried such as banging on pots and pans and clanging cookie sheets together. Some of these might be fun to act out with little ones while reading the story.

The illustrations are gorgeous with deep autumn colors. The characters are very sweet and endearing. 

This book would make a nice addition to any Halloween collection for ages 4-8. 

See what others have to say about this book:

Kirkus

Publishers Weekly