Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween by A.J. Locascio

Halloween is...well, not here yet, but as you know, the publishing world works on an earlier schedule. Which I get, since printing doesn't happen overnight. Kind of like the stores stocking things very, very, very early for each holiday...although we all know they do it too early. I went to Hobby Lobby this last week, looking for a couple of things (they didn't have any of them). One item on my list was a bright, cheerfully colored table cloth. Yeah, I go there with hopes more than solid 'they will definitely have this' sometimes. And they had table cloths. Fall ones with oranges and yellows and such. Summer items had, obviously, been put on sale a couple weeks ago and were already mostly gone. 

But I'll give them some credit since the Halloween stuff hadn't appeared yet.

Anyway, I saw today's read and was a little curious to see what is inside, since I didn't want to miss the opportunity of getting my hands on an early copy. So, let's take a peek, shall we?

SPOOPS:

The Little Spirits of Halloween

by A.J. Locascio

Illustrated by Laurie A. Conley

Top Shelf Productions

Chapter Book Holiday  /

Graphic Novel

72 pages

ages 5 to 8

COMING AUGUST 12th!!!

Young Holly Hollowell loves Halloween more than anything, but her dentist parents are totally against any event that promotes tooth-rotting sweets. While other kids trick-or-treat, Holly watches sadly from her window… until the Spoops arrive to turn things around! With their magical help, Holly can finally show her parents the true spirit of Halloween: not the candy, but the joy of expressing yourself, unleashing your imagination, and letting your spooky side soar!

Presented in rhyming verse that recalls Dr. Seuss and “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” along with nostalgic illustrations in black, white, and orange, Spoops is an instantly timeless classic that places Halloween right alongside other beloved holidays.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Cute Halloween-vibes mix with a more traditional tale for a delightful surprise.

Holly Hollowell is the child of dentists, who are completely and utterly against Halloween for obvious reasons. While they love Holly and are more than happy to support her quirks. After all there's nothing wrong with loving orange and black clothing or visiting graveyards or anything like that. And they do these things with her all year long, but come Halloween, she's forced to sit in the house and watch the other kids trick-or-treat in their costumes. When she tries to turn things around, her parents become more adamant. But maybe a hint of magic with the cutest creatures can help her out.

This is an adorable read in verse with a character to enjoy and magical creatures to adore. I could see the Spoops as little figures or stuffed toys kids would like to carry around with them, too. Like a collection. The tale follows a more traditional path and starts with an introduction to the town and Holly's parents as well as her birth and growing up to ten-years-old. Then, it highlights her troubles, her shot at rebelling, and the disappointing result. The surprise and magic first starts almost halfway into the read, but after that, it's truly a magical read with zest.

While this is sold as a graphic novel, it doesn't take that format. Instead, it's a fully colored and illustrated children's book for beginning readers...or listeners (like a picture book in chapter book format). The vocabulary, at times, is on the heavier end for the audience level, especially the younger block. The rhyming verse flows mostly well and holds the right, playful note to invite to dreams and fantasy. The entire seventy-some pages doesn't include any chapter breaks or such, which also means it's a fairly long read for a read-aloud sitting. So, I'd recommend this one more for the upper end of the age group and those who have a good grip on words. It'd also be nice as a read-aloud for the younger ones, but breaks will have to be worked in by need and desire.

It's a cute and uplifting tale with messages surrounding hope, family, learning to open up to new ideas, and friendship. Plus, the Spoops are little creatures to love and wish to have the chance to meet, too.