Are you a fan of Halloween? Do you like the spookiness or just the fun? This year consider celebrating Summerween! Today we are going to share three books recently released (or re-released) that have a Halloween theme. One however introduces Summerween. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing more Halloween themed books so get ready for Summerween or in our case Halloween in July! The first book is actually a Summerween story. It is But I'm a Pumpkin!: A Summerween Story by Kat Choppy and illustrated by Heidi Moreno. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
About the Book:
A little seed dreams of becoming a jack-o-lantern, but nature has other ideas in this delightful read-aloud about the origin of a "summerween" tradition—perfect for fans of Stumpkin or The Bad Seed.A young girl waits for Halloween, telling tales and singing songs of costumes, candy, and trick-or-treaters to the sprouts in the pumpkin patch. One seed in particular has big dreams: he wants to be the biggest, scariest jack-o-lantern of all! But as time passes and new vines unfurl, he remains greener than all the other pumpkins in the patch. Even his Halloweeniest thoughts have no effect!
Will this watermelon's dreams of pumpkinhood ever come true? Will the girl be able to celebrate her favorite season with her star jack-o-lantern? And what happens when he’s picked on a hot summer’s day, months before Halloween?
From Me:
In this book a young girl is very excited for Halloween. She plants her own pumpkin seeds and tells the plants all about the pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns they will become. Her excitement is contagious for the pumpkins. On Labor Day, her father sees a watermelon growing in the middle of her pumpkin patch and picks it to serve at the Labor Day picnic. However, the watermelon thinks it is a pumpkin and so does the girl. It is her favorite pumpkin in fact! She refuses to let it be served at the picnic. The group pivots and has a Summerween party instead. the kids dress in costumes, and the girl carves her favorite "pumpkin." A new tradition is started.
This is such a sweet story. The illustrations are beautiful and full of Halloween symbols. It is a story about someone who just loves Halloween and her dreams for her pumpkins. I love that she grows her own pumpkins (like Hazel used to) and treats the plants to stories and sleepovers. It is the story of a young girl excited for all the fun of Halloween. I also love that her family and community pivot to the Summerween celebration. It is such a fun way to enjoy the summer and the summer harvest. And as a New Englander, it is a perfect time for costumes because you know you won't be wearing coats over them.
Think about having a Summerween Party. This book had it around Labor Day, but you could also plan it for July 31st or even August 31st! Have kids dress in costumes, have parents provide trunk-or-treat opportunity or just play Halloween games and be sure to carve jack-o'-lanterns out of watermelons!! Or if you don't want them carving that many watermelons, they could make a jack-o'-lantern light out of jars and tissue paper. Talk about fun! Next up is a book from The Worst! Picture Book Series. It is Monsters Are the Worst! by Alex Willan. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. See all of our reviews of this series here.
About the Book:
Gilbert accidentally brings home a slobbery, bite-sized monster in the hilarious latest installment in The Worst! picture book series, where even the strangest of creatures can become the best of friends.When plucky Gilbert the Goblin and his pal Chicken go camping together, they run into creatures that go bump in the night! The friends immediately flee the woods and head home—after all, everyone knows that monsters are absolutely, undeniably, unequivocally the worst!
But when a shocking stowaway appears in Gilbert’s knapsack, looking awfully cute and extra snuggly, Gilbert is…smitten! Sure, monsters can bite and drool and make a big mess, but they can also steal your heart. It’s a tale so sweet it’s scary!
From Me:
Gilbert the Goblin is back. Somehow, he manages to get a stowaway in his backpack when he runs into monsters. The small monster he has is absolutely adorable. He gives all the reasons he cannot keep the monster or care for it. However, he also learns to love the monster. When he thinks he has it all figured out he finds the monster's family.
Like many of The Worst books, Gilbert begins with all the bad parts of the thing that is the worst. The baby monster loves biting everything--even the book (see the sample page below). And of course, Gilbert comes to realize that the monster is actually not bad and begins to enjoy it. Then he has to return the monster to his family. But don't worry, Gilbert still gets together with the monsters and gets to see his monster!
To go with this book, have a monster craft for kids to make at your celebration. Check out this post for a roundup of monster crafts! Speaking of monsters, let's talk costumes!! Our next book is part of the Duck & Goose series, and it has a scary swamp monster in it. A new edition is being released with a page of Halloween stickers. It is Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo! by Tad Hills. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
About the Book:
The New York Times bestselling and beloved characters from the Apple TV+ animated series are ready for a Halloween adventure. This hardcover edition includes a full sheet of fun stickers!It’s Halloween in the meadow and Duck and Goose are going trick-or-treating. Duck is going as a scary ghost. Goose is going as a brave superhero. And Thistle’s costume . . . well, that’s a secret. But what will Duck and Goose do when they hear a very scary swamp monster is looking for them?
Fans of the series will love this edition which includes Halloween-themed stickers!
From Me:
Duck and Goose have mixed feelings about Halloween. They enjoy trick-or-treating but are easily scared. This reminds me of Hazel when she was little. Their friend, Thistle, tells them to beware of the swamp monster. They both are afraid of the swamp monster. Goose even gets a little scared of Duck's ghost costume. When they come face to face with the swamp monster they realize they can be the scary ghost and brave superhero of their costumes and then they discover the swamp monster is actually Thistle.
I love the innocence of this book. Duck and Goose are like many kids. They love to trick-or-treat and to dress up. They also realize the possess some of the characteristics of the creature of their costumes. It is a fun Halloween book that kids will love and the illustrations are beautiful and fun too!
Looking for more not so scary Halloween themed books? Check out our roundup of some of our favorites! It even includes some crafts as well as costumes. Will you celebrate Summerween? Or save these great books for Halloween?
