Review - At the Old Haunted House

At the Old Haunted House
by Helen Ketteman
illustrated by Nate Wragg
Date: 2014
Publisher: Two Lions
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon.ca

At the old haunted house
In a room with no sun
Lived a warty green witch
And her wee witchy one.

There are all kinds of creatures in the house: a big Ma monster and her wee monsters two, a scrawny black cat and her wee kittens three, a green Pa goblin and his wee goblins four, and more! Count along as the creatures prepare for the Halloween Fright. The text, written in the pattern of the popular poem “Over in the Meadow,” makes reading aloud fun, while the cinematic illustrations set the scene for an unforgettable romp through the old haunted house. Trick or treat!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I must admit, I don't think I'm that familiar with the poem "Over in the Meadow", which this is apparently based on. Still, At the Old Haunted House is a very cute Halloween book that can function as a story or as a counting book.

The rhyming text takes the reader through numbers from one to ten as various spooky creatures and their offspring get ready for... something. It isn't until the last pages that we understand what all the preparations are for. Along the way, we meet dancing werewolves, scratching black cats, and plenty of spiders.

The book is just creepy enough to be great for Halloween, but not so spooky that it's going to scare anyone. In fact, all of the creatures are pretty cute. I thought the rhymes were pretty good (which is always a plus, especially if you want to read the book aloud; this one would lend itself well to that) and the fun illustrations are full of life... even if some of the characters technically aren't!

If you're looking for strong Halloween picture books for young readers, you might want to give this one a try.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.86 out of 5