Kid Konnection: Halloween Books

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you some adorable Halloween (or Halloween-related) books for little ones.

Summary: Little Witch is brewing up some special Halloween punch and all of her friends are coming to help.  The lively text, colorful illustrations and sound effects all enhance the clacking noise of this format.

Parents and caregivers are always looking for books that will engage babies and very small children, and this series fits the bill. And it's just the right size for little hands, diaper bags, strollers, and cribs. The colorful, simple illustrations make this a must-have for baby's first Halloween. -- Robin Carey Books


Summary: Black Cat wants her friends to come trick-or-treating with her, but they are all too busy—preparing to throw a surprise Halloween party for her.  The lively text, colorful illustrations and sound effects all enhance the clacking noise of this format.

Parents and caregivers are always looking for books that will engage babies and very small children, and this series fits the bill. And it's just the right size for little hands, diaper bags, strollers, and cribs. The colorful, simple illustrations make this a must-have for baby's first Halloween. -- Robin Carey Books

CLACKERS LITTLE WITCH and CLACKERS BLACK CAT written by C. Nash and illustrated by Luana Rinaldo are two precious books from the Clackers series. These sturdy little board books are perfect for babies and toddlers because they have very thick, foam pages that are definitely durable. In addition, they are ideal for little one's hands because they have handles for easy carrying... and clacking!

LITTLE WITCH tells the story of a witch who wants to make some Halloween punch. All of her friends chip in with either ingredients or their assistance and, at the end, they all enjoy the yummy punch. In BLACK CAT, the cat wants to go trick-or-treating with her friends; however, each friend is busy doing something else in preparation for the holiday. Black Cat eventually finds out that they are throwing a surprise party for her!

My kids are quite a few years past the target age for these cute books, but I could still appreciate them as a mother. They are the perfect size to throw into a diaper bag or purse, and I'm pretty sure that little ones will enjoy the colorful pictures and small amount of text. In addition, what kid won't love making the clacking sound?

Highly recommended for very young kiddos!

Summary: In One Spooky Night, intricately cut pages are overlaid with shadowy vellum to create a fun and mysterious tale that follows a little monster walking through the woods. Along the way, he encounters all sorts of curious sights, including hooting owls, grinning pumpkins, and even floating ghosts. One Spooky Night's charming lyrical text accompanies the little monster down the forest path to a mysteriously creepy old house—encouraging readers to wonder, "What's inside?" The surprise ending, complete with a gatefold grand finale will encourage everyone to exclaim, "Happy Halloween!" -- Accord

ONE SPOOKY NIGHT: A HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE by Kate Stone is probably one of my favorite Halloween themed books. ONE SPOOKY NIGHT tells the story of a little monster who is walking through the woods. While walking, he discovers some pretty "spooky" things like an owl, a pumpkin, ghosts and even an old house. The ending has a fun surprise for both the monster and the reader as they discover what's hiding inside the mysterious house.

I thought the story was very cute, as did Booking Son; and I think children will be interested in the little monster's travels. However, what made this book extra-special to me was the artwork -- it's an absolutely beautiful book. To start, the cover is just precious and even has sparkly orange glitter on the pumpkins, owls and text. The illustrations are also adorable and certainly set the mood for Halloween. But it's the combination of vellum overlays and intricately cut pages that really make this book a treat.

Lastly, I thought the surprise ending was very cute! It's hidden from a quick glance through this book, and a gatefold has to be opened to reveal the secret. This foldout page is so fun and colorful and it's a great conclusion to this spooky story.

I loved this book and especially the wonderful artwork. Fun for both kids and parents alike!

Summary: Black is the new black in this darkly tantalizing touch-and-feel extravaganza for the senses! Now babies can enjoy this daring color in a novelty board book chock-full of gorgeous, full-color photographs. There are textures to touch, a flap surprise, and the scratch 'n' sniff scent of sweet licorice that you can almost taste! -- Random House

One book that would have been very popular in my house a few years ago is LITTLE BLACK BOOK by Renee Khatami. The fun board book is all about the color black (not exactly a Halloween book, but it does have a black cat and a bat!)

What would have made this book so special to Booking Son is that it is a touch-and-feel book -- he always loved "interacting" with his books. And to make things even better, it is a scratch-and-sniff and a lift-the-flap book too. For example, there is fur to touch for the black bunny, whiskers to feel for the black cat, and black licorice to smell. Talk about a fun book for toddlers!

How can I not recommend a book that is touch-and-feel, scratch-and-sniff, and lift-the-flap?

Summary: Sometimes I'm scared of dogs. I'm not scared when they give me kisses. Sometimes I'm scared I will make a mistake. I'm not scared when I know I tried my best. With his signature blend of playfulness and sensitivity, Todd Parr explores the subject of all things scary and assures readers that all of us are afraid sometimes.  -- Little, Brown

And last, but not least, is THE I'M NOT SCARED BOOK by Todd Parr. This book isn't a traditional Halloween story, but I thought it kind of belonged in this post since it does deal with scary things. In THE I'M NOT SCARED BOOK, Mr. Parr addresses many normal childhood fears and then he shows kids that they don't have to be afraid.

The book is written in first person and each page spread discusses a different fear. The left page of the layout says what the kid is afraid of while the right side of the layout demonstrates a way to counteract the fear. For examples, "Sometimes I'm scared of the dark" is followed up by, "I'm not scared if I have a night-light." The book continues in the format and covers such topics as getting lost, lightning and thunder, and not being perfect to name just a few. The last page of the book is my favorite because it contains a very special message about fear and sharing your concerns with others.

I am a huge fan of Todd Parr's and I love his kids' books. His illustrations are just the best and always generate a smile from me. We've had our fair share of them come through our house and they were always a big hit with my kids. Heck, we even had a Todd Par puzzle! I can't rave enough about how Mr. Parr's book makes kids feel okay about themselves. They always have a fantastic message.

Definitely recommend for all kids, and especially those with anxieties. 

Thanks to the publishers for sending copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!