I'm sure there are many people who will disagree with me when I say that Halloween needn't be a scary time of year and I'll part...

Halloween Hijinks!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 BookBairn 1 Comments

I'm sure there are many people who will disagree with me when I say that Halloween needn't be a scary time of year and I'll partially agree that as children get older there should be some element of the 'scare-factor' but for those little ones it's nice that Halloween can hold a little more treat than trick! That's why 'Ten Spooky Skeletons' by Garry Parsons and Annette Rusling is a perfect read for young readers and parents to read to toddlers and wee ones. It has a fantastic surprise treat on the final page! And it is certainly more spooky than scary!

The skeletons in the book have a similar feel to those of traditional skeleton story, Funnybones (by Janet and Allan Ahlberg). They have friendly, inviting smiles and their soft-edges make them more cuddly than creepy. The inclusion of skelly animals adds to the fun and friendly experience reading this story. This book is, in fact, a counting story where young readers can learn to count along with "one lonely skeleton, looking for his friends" on an adventure through some truly marvellous scenes. To add to the fun, this book features peek-through cut-outs which reveal at what hijinks the skeletons are getting up to on the next page. Some of these cut-outs are hard to spot and therefore tricky for little hands such as BookBairn's (it is also paperback rather than board book meaning I don't entirely trust that she won't rip the page) but this hidden nature may appeal to older toddlers as the feel the pages and search for the gaps. It is a rather eclectic mix of scenes from ice skating skeletons to circus antics and pirate skellies to a skeleton shindig in full swing! Garry Parsons has some imagination! I also love that hidden in each illustration is the corresponding numeral to that part of the story (perfect for a wee bit of teaching without it becoming a focus).

Another fun element in the story are the rhyming phrases which bounce along nicely and had BookBairn listening intently (she loves a rhyme!). But best of all, we have read this book by torch-light! The cover glows in the dark brilliantly and BookBairn was grabbing at the book to feel the cover, which also has a slight fuzzy feel. Perfect to dazzle any young reader. And as you get to the final page, once all the skellies are reunited, they endeavour to give you a "super-spooky FRIGHT!" Fab-u-lous! Giggles galore! And more book-grabbing.


We cannot recommend this book highly enough! Mummy and BookBairn xx



1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a fantastic book. Really looking forward to reading it with BookBairn, especially by torch-light.

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