I'm thrilled to share my review of Eric James' custom Halloween picture book today..
A Halloween Scare in the Carolinas
by Eric James
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
A fun and funny Halloween romp for children and parents alike!
It's Halloween night, and creatures and critters from near and far are starting to gather outside the front door. And now here comes a whole army of monsters, on broomsticks, buses, and bikes, all clamoring in the darkness. What is it they want? Are they coming for you?
This humorous, creative story is the perfect Halloween adventure for children and parents to share.
Eric James’ picture book, A Halloween Scare, is a truly unique and spectacular reading experience. As Eric’s website states, A Halloween Scare is “A funny, spooky children’s book with a an uplifting and empowering ending, set in a world your child already knows”. A Halloween Scare comes in 29 different versions, covering 29 different locations throughout the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Each different location books is slightly altered to include sights, places, buildings, cities, etc in that specific location, both within the text and pictures.
I received, for review, A Halloween Scare in the Carolinas and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! This is seriously one of the cutest, funniest, most clever, and entertaining little Halloween books I’ve ever read. Told in lyrical, amusing rhymes, A Halloween Scare is utterly delightful and adorable. James creates such a fun and spooktastic story that is appropriate for even the littlest readers. Here is an example of the wonderfully whimsical verse and how it’s been altered to fit the specific location:
The creepies were crawly, the crazies were crazed,
The zombies from Charleston had eyes that were glazed.
The ogres from Asheville were ugly as sin,
With big bulging noses and warts on their chin.
Marina Le Ray’s illustrations are fantastic! Bright and eye-catching and full of so many funny, silly pictures, each page will charm and entertain little readers. And like the altered text, the illustrations depict well known places, sights, sports teams, etc around its specific location. I had so much fun flipping through the book and discovering each little nod to the Carolinas.
My Final Thoughts: A Halloween Scare is about as perfect as picture books get! With its clever and customized story, fantastical text, and spellbinding illustrations this is one book your little readers will want to read again and again. I can’t recommend it enough!
MY RATING
-You find out more about this customized picture book, see more illustrations, and find buy links HERE
-You can see which locations are available and which cities, sights, symbols, etc are featured in each book HERE
Watch the full animated UK version of this book below!
Eric James lives in the South of England, with his beautiful family. He’s a children’s author, word tickler and champion asparagus thrower. His first book, a rhyming story about Halloween is out now (first published in August 2014).
I love Halloween picture books, well and Christmas. Just wish I had a little one to read them to. They are fun to look at though. This must be such fun reading with your niece.
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