Jamie Allen, come on down!!

Jamie Allen, you are a Hallowinner!

Jamie posted her favorite villain over on our Facebook page. And gosh, we wholeheartedly agree that Ursula from The Little Mermaid is pretty darn great. Who wouldn't want lovely lavender skin? And just think how many candied apples you could eat with all those tentacles! It boggles the mind and stomach!

So Jamie, please email us your address so we can send you your prizes! Congrats, ghoulfriend!

Contest Alert! Contest Alert!

Calling all Halloweenies! Would you like to win three new Chick Halloween books? It's easy peasy peeps! All you have to do is tell us who your favorite villain is and then we'll pick a name out of our big witch's hat!

As for us, well, we're partial to Cruella DeVille. Seriously, the woman has enough style to make Anna Wintour jealous. And that hair! Do you suppose she uses Clairol to get that look?

We'll choose a Hallowinner at random by next Monday. The lucky person will receive Andrea's Hush, Baby Ghostling and Carolyn's Where's My Mummy? and Boris and Bella.

What fiendish fun! Good luck!

Hush, Baby Ghostling

Hush, Baby Ghostling
by Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre
Margaret K. McElderry
Agest 4-8
ISBN: 978-1416925453

Andrea is so excited to have a new book out in time for Halloween. It's a rhyming, bedtime book about Mama Ghost who is trying to get her ghostling to sleep after a lovely day of play.

It's nearly dawn and time for all baby ghostlings to go to sleep. But as any parent (ghost or human) knows, getting a young one to sleep is easier said than done. There are so many worries to soothe and rituals to complete before sleep arrives. Of course, Mama Ghost knows just what to do in this non-scary but humorous bedtime tale.

"Hush, Baby Ghostling
the haunting hour is past.
The bats have ceased their swooping
and the dawn is coming fast."














"So nestle safe beside me
in our happy haunted home
and dream a dream of darkness
where the wild monsters roam."














"Dear Baby Ghostling.
You're tucked in nice and tight.
I'll leave some darkness in the hall
if you're scared of the light."













Of course, Baby Ghostling loses his favorite toy skeleton and worries about the sounds of laughter in his room. But even the fear of human children can't keep sleep at bay forever. They are only make believe, after all.

Illustrations are by Pascal Lemaitre (Doctor Ted and Firefighter Ted) who is such a wonder. Hush, Baby Ghostling is rhyming read for halloween or any bed time!!! Hope you enjoy it!

Boo, Bunny!

Boo, Bunny!
by Kathryn O. Galbraith
Illustrated by Jeff Mack
Harcourt Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0152162467
http://kathrynogalbraith.com/
http://www.jeffmack.com/

Ooooh! Halloween is scary. Do you remember your first trick or treat adventure? The dark. The wind. The creepy house too terrifying to approach. Every shadow exploding with danger! Boo! It's enough to scare the ears off a little bunny. That is, until he finds a friend. There's nothing like holding your best friend's paw to ward off the jitters.

Boo, Bunny! is the perfect book for youngsters about to go out on their first Halloween adventure. Short, snappy rhyme paired with beautiful, playful, and suspenseful illustrations will enthrall young bunnies, ghosts, and superheroes alike!

Halloween Quick Chick Picks

We recently decided that we don't feel like limiting our reviews to just three a month. Sometimes we feel the need to squawk about books that may not be new but are still noteworthy. Interestingly enough, we got this urge to review many books at once after eating roughly four pounds of candy corn.

Once we emerge from our sugar coma we will be happy to go back to our usual three reviews a month, but in the meantime, here goes:

Boris and Bella, by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by Gris Grimly, Harcourt Books, ISBN-10: 0152025286. Boris Kleanitoff and Bella Legrossi must learn to get along in this fiendishly fun Odd Couple tale.

Happy Halloween, Stinky Face!, by Lisa McCourt, illustrated by Cyd Moore, Cartwheel Books, ISBN 9780439779777. A playful, reassuring take on Halloween for young worriers everywhere.

Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, Puffin Books, ISBN-10: 0142501122. A kindhearted witch finds room on her broom for three lucky animals. Perfect rhyme makes this a winner year after year.

Spider and the Fly, by Tony DiTerlizzi, based on the cautionary tale by Mary Howitt, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-0689852893. Not a Halloween book per se, but a creepy delight nonetheless with its eerie mansion, ghostly guests, and tragic ending -- perfect for older kids who like their comedy dark.

Ten Little Mummies, by Philip Yates, illustrated by Brian G. Karas, Puffin Books. ISBN: 9780142403679. Ten little mummies who are bored stiff get into all kinds of trouble!