Those who are looking for Halloween books that delight kids or teach a concept may wish to consider some of the following:
- Brooms are for Flying!
- The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
- Winnie the Witch
- Winifred Witch & her very own cat
Brooms are for Flying!
Brooms are for Flying! by Michael Rex [Henry Holt and Company, 2000], is a 32-page Halloween book that encourages kids to get up and move with one phrase on each set of pages. Children may naturally want to do whatever action is mentioned. The kids can flap their wings, shake their bones, be sneaky with a cape, and more. The character that is dressed up as a witch for Halloween reveals her surprising true identity at the end and offers one last action.
This book works particularly well with preschoolers because it is short and active.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd [HarperCollins,1986], is a 32-page Halloween book about a brave lady who walks home through the forest alone. Various pieces of clothing appear in front of her, each with a different action. They then begin to follow her home. The book repeats the former actions of the pieces before adding each new one, incorporating sequencing, until the old lady finally reaches home with quite a parade behind her. When the pieces reveal to her that they are trying to scare her, they are disappointed to discover that she is not afraid, but she whispers an idea of how they might be useful. The next morning, the old lady looks out the window and what does she see?
This book might be frightening to a few kids, but this can be minimized by focusing on the little old lady’s bravery.
Readers may be interested in a hands-on lesson plan incorporating fun dressing stations designed to be used after reading The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.
Winnie the Witch
Winnie the Witch, by Valerie Thomas and illustrated by Korky Paul [HarperCollins, 1987], is a 28-page Halloween book about a witch named Winnie and her black cat, Wilbur. Everything in the witch’s house is black, including the cat. Problems begin when the cat closes his green eyes to sleep because Winnie keeps sitting on and tripping over poor Wilbur because he blends in with the black décor.
The witch decides to change Wilbur into various colors in an effort to protect herself and her rather unhappy cat, but each color seems to lead to more problems and more colors. Finally, the multicolored Wilbur decides to hide in shame at the top of a tree, but Winnie’s love for her cat cannot leave him there. She decides to turn her trusted feline back to black, but what can she do to keep from tripping over him now?
This book is full of humor and the reader can encourage the children to suggest solutions before reading about what Winnie the witch will do next. Find fun camouflage lesson plans to follow a reading of Winnie the Witch.
Winifred Witch & her very own cat
Winifred Witch & her very own cat, by Amy Houts and illustrated by Cheryl Mendenhall [Dalmation Press, 2001], is a 24-page Halloween book about a shy little witch named Winifred. She wants her own cat more than anything in the world, but her parents decide that she needs to demonstrate that she can scare others as a good witch should.
Winnie does not really want to scare others, especially her friendly neighbor named Mrs. Clayton, who is an artist and surrounds herself with beautiful colors and fine paintings. Although Winnie tries to scare various people, her efforts fail miserably and she begins to think that she will never get a cat as she falls asleep. Suddenly a noise in the darkness awakens her and she discovers robbers are stealing Mrs. Clayton’s prized artwork. What can she possibly do to help?
Children who have a difficult time fitting in with others may be particularly drawn to this book.
Halloween-themed Books for Kids
These four Halloween books are fun, colorful, and entertaining for kids. Those interested in teaching may also find teaching tools and fun activities about bats to be helpful. Readers are welcome to give feedback regarding these books or to suggest additional Halloween books that children enjoy.
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