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If you feel like there are more Halloween picture books to choose from than ever before, you're not alone. Margaret Neville, the children's book buyer and kids' room manager for The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, has noticed a huge uptick in Halloween titles published for young people.
Why?
"Retailers view Halloween as the new Christmas, another opportunity to sell something"— which isn't a bad thing when it comes to books. In fact, Neville says, there's now something for every taste, including the following new picture book offerings.
"Wonderfall," written and illustrated by Michael Hall
OK. Technically speaking, this isn't a Halloween book. (See how the bait-and-switch thing just worked there?) But "Wonderfall" is one of the best new books of the season. Hall takes familiar words ending in "-ful" and turns them into compound words describing the autumn season—"plentifall," "beautifall," "thankfall." His digitally rendered collages complement the book's spare text. Additional information about the migration and hibernation habits of the story's featured animals is included in the back of the book.
"This Is the House That Monsters Built," written by Steve Metzger and illustrated by Jared Lee
If you're searching for a new Halloween book to read aloud, look no further! Metzger's clever riff on the familiar cumulative tale "This Is the House That Jack Built" features (among other creatures) a mummy, a spider, a skeleton, a werewolf and a supremely acrobatic black cat.
"Bad Kitty Scaredy-Cat," written and illustrated by Nick Bruel
Bad Kitty is back! But instead of being an angry kitty or a gallant kitty or a resolute kitty, Bad Kitty is afraid of an entire alphabet of terrible creatures appearing (with trick-or-treat bags) on her front porch — awful aliens, creepy clowns, hideous hags, putrid pirates and zany zombies. Can Bad Kitty get her Bad Kitty mojo back and own the Halloween Holiday for herself? Bad Kitty fans will enjoy the latest installment in this popular series. Bruel's vivid palette and playful language make this a good choice for sharing aloud.
"Love Monster and the Scary Something," written and illustrated by Rachel Bright
Like Bad Kitty, Love Monster stars in a series of picture books popular with children and their parents. In this story, Love Monster is overcome with fear when he suspects that he is not alone in his home after all. Should he hide beneath his covers? Or should he face his fears? Bright's books always manage to give a nod to our better impulses without being overly didactic.
"Boo! Haiku," written by Deanna Caswell and illustrated by Bob Shea
"Broom across the moon/ pointed hat at the window/ hair-raising cackle. Can you guess who from this haiku?" Caswell uses the traditional haiku form (five syllables/seven syllables/five syllables) to create a series of linked poems that invites young readers to guess who or what is being described. Bob Shea's bright, unfussy illustrations nicely complement the text.
"Brunhilda's Backwards Day," written and illustrated by Shawna J.C. Tenney
The Wasatch Front is home to a number of nationally published children's writers and illustrators. Utah resident Shawna Tenney joins their ranks with her debut picture book, "Brunhilda's Backwards Day," a good-natured story about a troublemaking witch who accidentally gets out on the RIGHT side of the bed. Even Brunhilda is surprised by what happens next.
"Peep and Egg: I'm Not Trick-or-Treating," written by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Joyce Wan
Peep and her reluctant little sister Egg (who finally managed to hatch in spite of all her fears) return in the second book of this new series for toddlers. Now Egg is afraid to go trick-or-treating. Can Peep convince her that all will be well? Or will Egg give in to her fears and miss out on all the Halloween fun? The big bold illustrations are especially charming.
"Birdie's Happiest Halloween," written and illustrated by Sujean Rim
Football, fuzzy sweaters and falling leaves are just a few of the many reasons that Birdie and her dog, Monster, love autumn. But Birdie especially loves picking out a costume for Halloween. Who will she be this year? Birdie has no idea … until she's inspired by a trip to the local museum. Against the backdrop of this election season, Birdie's choice feels particularly appropriate.
"A Teeny Tiny Halloween," written by Lauren L. Wohl and illustrated by Henry Cole
What can you do if you're a teeny tiny woman who lives in a teeny tiny house in the middle of a really big dark forest surrounded by really big trees who cover you with their autumn leaves? Her solution will please anybody who loves Halloween. In spite of the story's fey premise, the teeny tiny woman and her teeny tiny home have a surprisingly uptown look.
"Fairy Tale Frankie and the Tricky Witch," written by Greg Gormley and illustrated by Steven Lenton
Frankie loves fairy tales, which is why she's delighted when a host of fairy-tale characters — a princess, a unicorn, a knight in shining armor — show up in her room. That's the good news. The bad news is that they all want Frankie to hide them from the witch who's hot on their trail. Frankie finds everyone a hiding place, but forgets to hide herself. What will happen to her when a witch is in the house?
"Enzo's Very Scary Halloween," written by Garth Stein and illustrated by R.W. Alley
Enzo, the canine narrator of Stein's breakthrough novel, "The Art of Racing in the Rain," is enjoying a second act as a character in a series of picture books. In his newest adventure, Enzo is nervous about the approaching Halloween holiday. Is he up to protecting his family from the dangers that most certainly lie ahead? What's a poor dog to do?
"The Mystery of the Haunted Farm," written and illustrated by Elys Dolan
This (very!) visually busy picture book, which feels like a combination of a graphic novel and a sendup of the movie "Ghostbusters," isn't for everyone. But for the right readers, there's plenty to enjoy in this story about a farmer who calls in a team of pigs to investigate his suddenly haunted farm.