20 Halloween Stories

20 Halloween Stories/Free Fun Games for Children
By Shane Alex Lee

Unfortunately it's time for a negative review. This book is a disappointment on just about every level. First off, the cover looks like it was drawn in Windows Paint by someone who's never seen a book cover before. The Jack-o-lantern looks a bit deranged, and in the top corner is what I'm guessing is supposed to be a full moon, although it looks more like a cross between a film reel and a chocolate chip cookie. And inside the pictures don't get better. Any child could easily make drawings as good as these, but at that age it would still be cute. The writing is basic and uninspired, and there's really no point to it. For .99 cents, it's way over priced. I recommend passing on this book.

Five Little Pumpkins

Five Little Pumpkins
By Cindy Bracken

Another book for Fall! To me this book is a perfect read for the night before Halloween. It's a sweet little rhyme, much like the Ten Little Indians nursery rhyme. It's simple, but it leaves lots of room for fun. The expressions on the pumpkins' faces would be a great way to help your toddler identify emotions. It also might go great with some pumpkin cookies!

My Noisy Farm

My Noisy Farm. A children's picture book with extra first word pages
By Moira Butterfield

This is a great book to teach kids about farm animals. It's rhyming style makes the words flow, and the realistic pictures offer a good visual. At the end of the book is a list of cartoon animals, with both the names of parent and baby animals. I really like that the book gives both options, so that kids can see what the animal actually looks like, but have a fun cartoon option too. It also includes the noises made by each animal, which gives you an opportunity to be silly and make these noises with your kids.

Marvin's Mysterious Monster

Marvin's Mysterious Monster
By Michael Yu

 "Marvin's Mysterious Monster" was pretty cute. Marvin is going to bed when he sees a monster hiding in his closet, and he dresses up like a superhero to fight it off. It ends up being only a teddy bear, and Marvin goes to sleep safe and sound. I like how it ended - I was expecting it to be the dog or something hiding in the closet, but I thought the teddy bear was sweet. There are just enough words on the page and they're clear and easy to understand, however, I didn't like the format. The pictures and words were on separate pages, which would be fine in a hard copy, but on the Kindle, you can't see both at the same time. This is only a minor issue in a great book, and it certainly won't keep me from reading it to the kids, it's just a pet peeve of mine. Otherwise, it's a good read.

Autumn is Here

 Autumn is here!
By  Heidi  Pross Gray

This book is so cozy! The Fall hues make me want to wrap up in a blanket with the kids and eat soup.  The color combinations really look great, and the rustic artsy of the pictures is perfectly appropriate. The book takes you through typical Autumn images from apples to muffins to mittens, and you can almost smell pumpkin spice and crisp air. The words are simple but compelling, and it's great for identifying these seasonal objects. It really gets you in the mood for Fall.

Hugo's Cat Circus

Hugo's Cat Circus
By Julie Dweck

I love cats. And I like the circus, so I was a little excited for this book. The French cats put on an annual circus, Le Cat Circus Show, and the story takes you through all the different circus acts as well as cat breeds. I think some of the French names and breeds might be hard for kids to read, but it's a great way to introduce them to these words. The main cat, Hugo, was so darling in his little tux. The rhymes are amusing, and so is the mouse juggling. Overall I thought it was sweetly informative and light-hearted.

Who's There, Little Hoo?

 Who's There, Little Hoo?
 By Brenda Ponnay

What can I say about this book? It's adorably cute. The story is simple, so it's definitely for younger readers, but it's just so cute. Can I say "cute" more than once? This is a little bit of a gush, but even I said "aww" when I read this. My toddler likes to hoot along with the owls, and he was saying "who's there?" every time I turned the page. Little Hoo has a Halloween party, and when his friends show up in masks, he can't tell who's who. And then Mama Owl shows up with a big hug, and you can't help but smile.

Lula's Brew

Lula's Brew
By Elizabeth Dulemba

What a cute story! Lula is a young witch living with her aunts, but has no interest in brewing spells or potions - she'd rather cook. Her aunts want her to try making another spell, but instead she cooks up a magical treat that everyone loves. It ends with Lula and her aunts opening a restaurant to share her cooking with the town. It was great to read to the kids with Halloween coming up, but I could see reading it in any season. It's even inspired me to cook up some Fall treats with the kids.