A riotous Halloween story with some bite to it.
A shark has a hard time getting into the spirit of spooky season.
Snaggle-toothed Edgar—whom readers may remember from Santa Shark (2023) and Pizza Shark (2024)—isn’t keen on Halloween. After hearing a loud shriek coming from Edgar’s house, his friend Lotta Crab finds him cowering under his bed after having seen a ghost. Lotta explains that the “ghost” is just their pal Tim in a costume and urges Edgar to go outside and join the festivities. Edgar suddenly has a whole list of “important things that I shrimply must do.” Lotta persists and shows Edgar the fun of activities such as carving pumpkins, decorating the house, and donning costumes (Edgar dreams up “Count Sharkula”) until their friends stop by while trick-or-treating. After they compliment his get-up, Edgar joins the group—so Lotta won’t be scared, he alleges. This comical holiday story will hopefully allay potential fears about Halloween; while giggling, readers will be reassured by the idea that even a dreaded undersea predator can feel a bit apprehensive at this time of year. The funny proceedings move along at a brisk clip, with Edgar frequently spouting marine-themed puns—also expressed visually—that may go over kids’ heads. The zany illustrations are set in panels, sometimes with captions, comic book–style, and the expressive protagonists’ conversations (presented in all caps, with numerous exclamation points) appear in speech bubbles.
A riotous Halloween story with some bite to it. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781546110781
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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