I don't have a lot of Halloween-themed books in our house, mostly because our kids don't go out trick or treating, but also because so many Halloween-themed books seem to place too much emphasis on being spooky or scary. All three of these books still have an element of spooky, but because so many children are already familiar with characters from Sheep Trick or Treat and Ollie's Halloween, I imagine they'll find these books just as fun as the other books from their respective series.
In Ollie's Halloween, Gossie is a wizard, Gertie is a chicken, Peedie is a dragon, BooBoo is a bunny, and Ollie is a mummy. They're out on the prowl as they hoot like owls, howl like wolves, creep through bogs, and scare frogs. Around the pumpkin patch, behind the beehives, past the cornstalks, past the barn, these friends end their Halloween parade with a pile of treats. Halloween may be a night to appear scary, but for Ollie and his friends, it's a night to share.
As many of you know, Little Tug is a favorite in our house, which is why I'm excited to include Seven Orange Pumpkins (also written and illustrated by Stephan Savage). A counting book, Seven Orange Pumpkins has a color pallet that shouts Halloween night even before you read the text. From an orange, sun-set background, to bright purple skies, a foggy gray ocean view, a glowing green basement, and a starry-lit night, each illustration highlights a silhouette of objects -- furthering the eerie feel of the book. As each pumpkin disappears page by page, what will happen to the final pumpkin? A fun book for little ones who love pumpkins, mummies, witches, pirates, and the unexpected!
Sheep Trick or Treat is another gem by Nancy Shaw and Margot Apple. I can't tell you how many times I've read through their board books and found some new detail to smile at. As the sheep dress up in disguises -- a dinosaur, a mummy, a gorilla, a witch, and a vampire -- they head off to trick or treat. A book with rhymes that never seem to disappoint, I might keep this one out on the shelf year-round.
