Halloween Forest

Written by Marion Dane Bauer
Illustrated by John Shelley
Published in 2012

Why we chose this book:
Because it looks spooky!

Mom's Review

A child ventures into a bone forest on Halloween. Despite the spookiness, he/she (it is not specified) overcomes the urge to run in fear, and is showered with trick-or-treat candy as a result.

Holiday books tend to be hit-or-miss in my experience, and this one is undeniably a hit. The story shows a child on a mission, a child who confronts a scary environment but is undeterred by his/her uncertainty. The underlying message here is conveyed both through text and pictures: it is okay to be a little scared, but don't let that prevent you from achieving your goal. Shelley's illustrations also strike a nice balance - not too frightening, but just spooky enough to give you a bit of the shivers.* And the closer I look at the pictures, the more skeletons and bones I find;  quite like that type of illustration, where each time I read the book to T, I find something new.

Halloween Forest is fun for Halloween, but the message is applicable year round. And if your little one is anywhere near as interested in spooky stuff as T is, then this will likely be a hit for you, too!

*Read Frog and Toad: Days with Frog and Toad. They get the shivers when they share a scary story.

Son's Review
(Age: 3 and 1/2 years)

Here is something a little different: a review movie with a skeleton mom and a skeleton son.

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We received a copy for review from Holiday House Publishing.