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One Halloween Night
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Halloween
Wendell, Floyd, and Mona can't seem to avoid trouble, particularly on Halloween! It all starts when a black cat crosses their path while they're walking home from school, which seems to cause all their costumes to go awry. Then, while trick-or-treating, some of their neighbors surprise them with tricks instead of treats. As if that weren't bad enough, a pack of nasty witches is chasing them through the neighborhood, making fun of their costumes! Will the kids be able to save their Halloween from disaster?
Halloween
Wendell, Floyd, and Mona can't seem to avoid trouble, particularly on Halloween! It all starts when a black cat crosses their path while they're walking home from school, which seems to cause all their costumes to go awry. Then, while trick-or-treating, some of their neighbors surprise them with tricks instead of treats. As if that weren't bad enough, a pack of nasty witches is chasing them through the neighborhood, making fun of their costumes! Will the kids be able to save their Halloween from disaster?
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
3 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Mark Teague
139 books121 followersMark Teague has delighted young readers with more than 20 picture books, and he has written many of them himself, including the popular Pigsty, Baby Tamer, and One Halloween Night. He is also the illustrator of Cynthia Rylant's beloved Poppleton series for beginning readers and the best-selling books by Jane Yolen, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight and How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon.
Mark Teague's life changed when he moved from San Diego to New York City and he planted the seed for his first picture book, The Trouble with the Johnsons. Each of Teague's books start as "notebooks full of sketches and scribbles, strange little drawings and phrases that suddenly come together," Teague explains. And although he had no formal writing training, his endless imagination and understanding nature gives him a permanent place in the hearts of everyone.
Mark and his wife live in Coxsackie, New York, with their young daughter Lily, who has a great time watching her dad paint the pictures in his books.
Mark Teague's life changed when he moved from San Diego to New York City and he planted the seed for his first picture book, The Trouble with the Johnsons. Each of Teague's books start as "notebooks full of sketches and scribbles, strange little drawings and phrases that suddenly come together," Teague explains. And although he had no formal writing training, his endless imagination and understanding nature gives him a permanent place in the hearts of everyone.
Mark and his wife live in Coxsackie, New York, with their young daughter Lily, who has a great time watching her dad paint the pictures in his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 2, 2016
I saved this book for last to read Halloween night because I thought it would be the best. It sounded like such an adventure and I couldn’t wait to read it.
I liked that the letter O, the letter of the first word in the story was made out of a pumpkin. I think the names for the kids could have been better, more popular names that kids would know and would have an easier time pronouncing. I liked the line Wendell said that anything can happen on Halloween, about petting a black cat.
It was amusing that bed luck befalls all of them. Wendell’s mad scientist jacket turned pink after the wash, and Floyd had to take his little sister with him, said pirates don’t have little sisters. Mona’s mom made her dress like a faerie and when she said she looked ridiculous her mom said nonsense and handed her a magic wand. They were all down that night and hoped no one they knew would see them; that line was funny.
Some houses tricked them instead of giving them treats and I like when the clown released those things to bounce out at them they all ran into each other. His little sister was on his back and the cat was on her. It was cute that Wendell grumbled he couldn’t believe this was happening when they were given bad candy, like broccoli chews, sweet n sauerkraut and eggplant fizzlers.
It was entertaining that one bad thing after another was happened to them. A mean girl from school is after them and they run from her, with Floyd carrying his little sister on his back. Wendell looked funny in his pink lab coat, sitting on top of the fence and reaching down for the little girl, while the cat clung to a branch just with its front paws. Floyd pulled an action movie stunt, swinging his saber at the group of mean girls, grabbing a tree branch and swinging up, flipping and somersaulting backward over the fence. Sounds like he’s a gymnast and a little too hard to picture.
They decided to duck into the graveyard to escape the group, and I liked the gravestones. One name was E.Z., and it read E.Z. come E.Z. go and I appreciate a play on words. Wendell had a magic potion that turned them invisible, which we didn’t need, because so far everything had been realistic at least. They leave but the mean girls were still after them, which didn’t make sense. Who would rather chase kids from school and make fun of them rather than trick or treat? They make fun of each kid in turn, saying these rhymes that I don't think kids would think of.
"Yo Ho Ho! I see something funny. It's Pirate Floyd, and his baby bunny!"
"What's wrong with Wendell? Let me think. He must be MAD 'cause he's dressed in pink!"
"Just look over there. You'll see something scary. It's Tinkerbell Mona dressed up like a fairy!"
But when Mona gets the heat she gets mad and says a spell of her own. I liked that the boys seemed afraid and were leaning away from her as she stood with a hand on her hip and her wand pointed to the girl.
The rhyme that she said was such a copy of the classic "bippity boppity boo," wherever that originated from. Mona said "Ibbity bibbity, bobbity boad" which sounded dumb and I'd be too self-conscious to say out loud and was too reminiscent of that old spell that another source came up with.
I was really disappointed with the direction it took. With her magic, she sent them all back to the beginning, outside of the house and their bags are full of real candy. She shrugs off what she did, saying you said anything can happen on Halloween. I expected an adventurous tale, not a fantastical, make-believe story and was really disappointed in that. And the mean girl had turned into a frog, which is what Mona had said. Very disappointed with the story. It would have been better if more bad things had kept happening, instead of a mean girl and her friends chasing them all over town and not leaving them alone, until they cast a magical spell, turned her into a frog and then transported themselves back home.
I liked that the letter O, the letter of the first word in the story was made out of a pumpkin. I think the names for the kids could have been better, more popular names that kids would know and would have an easier time pronouncing. I liked the line Wendell said that anything can happen on Halloween, about petting a black cat.
It was amusing that bed luck befalls all of them. Wendell’s mad scientist jacket turned pink after the wash, and Floyd had to take his little sister with him, said pirates don’t have little sisters. Mona’s mom made her dress like a faerie and when she said she looked ridiculous her mom said nonsense and handed her a magic wand. They were all down that night and hoped no one they knew would see them; that line was funny.
Some houses tricked them instead of giving them treats and I like when the clown released those things to bounce out at them they all ran into each other. His little sister was on his back and the cat was on her. It was cute that Wendell grumbled he couldn’t believe this was happening when they were given bad candy, like broccoli chews, sweet n sauerkraut and eggplant fizzlers.
It was entertaining that one bad thing after another was happened to them. A mean girl from school is after them and they run from her, with Floyd carrying his little sister on his back. Wendell looked funny in his pink lab coat, sitting on top of the fence and reaching down for the little girl, while the cat clung to a branch just with its front paws. Floyd pulled an action movie stunt, swinging his saber at the group of mean girls, grabbing a tree branch and swinging up, flipping and somersaulting backward over the fence. Sounds like he’s a gymnast and a little too hard to picture.
They decided to duck into the graveyard to escape the group, and I liked the gravestones. One name was E.Z., and it read E.Z. come E.Z. go and I appreciate a play on words. Wendell had a magic potion that turned them invisible, which we didn’t need, because so far everything had been realistic at least. They leave but the mean girls were still after them, which didn’t make sense. Who would rather chase kids from school and make fun of them rather than trick or treat? They make fun of each kid in turn, saying these rhymes that I don't think kids would think of.
"Yo Ho Ho! I see something funny. It's Pirate Floyd, and his baby bunny!"
"What's wrong with Wendell? Let me think. He must be MAD 'cause he's dressed in pink!"
"Just look over there. You'll see something scary. It's Tinkerbell Mona dressed up like a fairy!"
But when Mona gets the heat she gets mad and says a spell of her own. I liked that the boys seemed afraid and were leaning away from her as she stood with a hand on her hip and her wand pointed to the girl.
The rhyme that she said was such a copy of the classic "bippity boppity boo," wherever that originated from. Mona said "Ibbity bibbity, bobbity boad" which sounded dumb and I'd be too self-conscious to say out loud and was too reminiscent of that old spell that another source came up with.
I was really disappointed with the direction it took. With her magic, she sent them all back to the beginning, outside of the house and their bags are full of real candy. She shrugs off what she did, saying you said anything can happen on Halloween. I expected an adventurous tale, not a fantastical, make-believe story and was really disappointed in that. And the mean girl had turned into a frog, which is what Mona had said. Very disappointed with the story. It would have been better if more bad things had kept happening, instead of a mean girl and her friends chasing them all over town and not leaving them alone, until they cast a magical spell, turned her into a frog and then transported themselves back home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2022
The trio: Wendell, Floyd & Mona, joining with Floyd's sister Alice, are back for a night on the streets because it's Halloween. But things seem to go wrong for them, they get tricked more than treats by neighbors and the candy they did get are really strange. What's worse is Leona Fleebish and her gang teasing them for their silly costumes, much to their annoyance. But strange stuff always happen on Halloween, and it shows: Floyd managed a high summersault over the alley face during an escape, Wendell creates an invisibility potion to hide, and Mona waves a spell that finally stops Leona & her gang's terrible teasing for the rest of the night. Halloween does make everything possible, and the kids get to enjoy their treats in peace for the rest of the evening.
Mark Teague's writing is spot on in telling an entertaining and magical adventure on a spooky night, where anything's possible. Even better is his illustrations that really pop out the essence of the story to life. Surely I think One Halloween Night should be a holiday classis for many children who love Halloween.
Mark Teague's writing is spot on in telling an entertaining and magical adventure on a spooky night, where anything's possible. Even better is his illustrations that really pop out the essence of the story to life. Surely I think One Halloween Night should be a holiday classis for many children who love Halloween.
November 2, 2016
I immediately liked the beginning, that started out with them finding a black cat. One of them goes to pet it, and another warns him not to, because he believes in the superstition. Him saying “you never knew what could happen” prefaced instances that would start happening to them. They started having signs the next page.
That’s cute, they hoped no one they knew would see them! That’s very relatable, because I would probably say the same thing. The shirt turning pink, Wendell having to take his little sister, and the girl having to dress as a fairy, and saying she looked ridiculous, and her mom saying “nonsense” and handing her a wand was funny!
The clown trick was funny too! I recently thought about the phrase trick-or-treat, and that people at one time maybe tricked you! Them all piled together after the trick, with the cat in back was funny!
This was exciting: ‘The chase was on!’ I loved this!
His sister dressed as a rabbit on his back!
I found it confusing on the line where Wendell jumped too late, so the girls chasing them saw them. I didn’t understand what exactly he had done. Jumped late when? Because the 3 other ppl were still visible.
‘His face lit with a pirate grin.’ That was another good line!
It wasn’t realistic for him to grab the branch and flip over the fence.
I like the page of the cemetery and the vulture in the tree. I love the color of the sky and the clouds. Pretty page.
I like the grave: ‘Born grumpy died in a bad mood.’ And ‘EZ come EZ go.’
The clouds over the moon and the owl were pretty.
How is the science kit enabling them to become invisible?!
When she used her magic wand, I was like I see!! They’ve got powers.
Now I know the pirate had magical power when he flipped over the fence!
Wish it had ended on a better note!! And what about Wendell’s lil sister, dressed as a rabbit? I thought she’d have a power, too.
That’s cute, they hoped no one they knew would see them! That’s very relatable, because I would probably say the same thing. The shirt turning pink, Wendell having to take his little sister, and the girl having to dress as a fairy, and saying she looked ridiculous, and her mom saying “nonsense” and handing her a wand was funny!
The clown trick was funny too! I recently thought about the phrase trick-or-treat, and that people at one time maybe tricked you! Them all piled together after the trick, with the cat in back was funny!
This was exciting: ‘The chase was on!’ I loved this!
His sister dressed as a rabbit on his back!
I found it confusing on the line where Wendell jumped too late, so the girls chasing them saw them. I didn’t understand what exactly he had done. Jumped late when? Because the 3 other ppl were still visible.
‘His face lit with a pirate grin.’ That was another good line!
It wasn’t realistic for him to grab the branch and flip over the fence.
I like the page of the cemetery and the vulture in the tree. I love the color of the sky and the clouds. Pretty page.
I like the grave: ‘Born grumpy died in a bad mood.’ And ‘EZ come EZ go.’
The clouds over the moon and the owl were pretty.
How is the science kit enabling them to become invisible?!
When she used her magic wand, I was like I see!! They’ve got powers.
Now I know the pirate had magical power when he flipped over the fence!
Wish it had ended on a better note!! And what about Wendell’s lil sister, dressed as a rabbit? I thought she’d have a power, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2010
I like Mark Teague. A lot. He's a nice guy who wrote back to my students when they wrote to him ( a big plus in my mind) His illustrations are wonderful and his stories memorable. But this one missed the mark. The story line proved very difficult for the target audience to follow. Not funny, not scary, with too much picking on each other in a mean way that was never explained. A dud.
October 26, 2012
The illustrations in this book were very good but I didn't care for the flow of the story very much. The last two pages of the books threw me off and I felt that they were not needed for the story.
October 15, 2023
The kids before they even were dressed in their costumes. A black cat walked right across their path. That is a bad omen, weird things can happen. They got home to put on their costumes but Wendall's Mad Scientist Costume turned pink, Mona didn't like her Fairy Costume. And Floyd had to take his little sister with them. They started Trick or Treating and they were being Tricked! The Treats were strange, eggplant fizzlers, Sweet n' Sauerkraut, YUCK! They heard a SCHREECH of laughter, Leona Fleebish and her nasty friends. Hurry run. The witches caught them in an alley, but Floyd did a back flip into a tree and surprised them all. The Witches kept laughing at them, Wendell used his chemistry set and turned them invisible. Next They teased Mona about being a Fairy and she cursed Leona into ------! Have fun reading this book and find out what Leona turned into.
April 19, 2020
When a black cat crosses their path, Wendell is sure that it’s going to bring bad luck to their Halloween. And it seems that’s how things are going to go. First, their costumes are definitely NOT what they had in mind and Floyd has to take this little sister with them. Then, the treats they are getting are just strange like Broccoli Chews. And worst of all, Leona Fleebish and her nasty friend show up, dressed appropriately as witches. But as the chasing begins, Floyd, Wendell and Mona discover that their costumes are more accurate for them than they realized.
A fun read aloud.
A fun read aloud.
September 25, 2017
3.5 stars. I loved the little details on the illustration. This is a book to really take your time reading. Pay attention to the little things! It is not, therefore, a book that I'd share with a group.
October 17, 2018
This is a story about 3 kids who do not get their perfect costume, who got tricks instead of treats, and get teased by a bunch of kids dressed as witches. Something magical from each of the not so perfect costumes helps the friends escape and they end up having a pretty good time.
October 17, 2020
The book was great with wonderful illustrations and a fun characters. The adventure was creative with some exciting periods. I thought the ending was just okay; I was hoping that it would have more dramatic or funnier.
September 10, 2018
A group of kids outsmart the neighborhood bullies by using halloween magic associated with their costumes.
September 23, 2018
Picture-This is a story with surprise adventures for four children who experience some trick-or-treating magic.
October 8, 2019
Some kids have a Halloween adventure that reveals Anthony is possible on Halloween as the try to escape the nasty witch and her bullying rhymes.
October 31, 2020
The detailed illustrations were definitely the highlight. The story was a bit odd but we enjoyed all the bad luck.
July 20, 2021
I love Mark Teague.
May 23, 2024
It was a fun read for adults and the kids. A bunch of opportunities for fun voices, inflection, and sound effects
October 3, 2024
Kind of long for kindergarten but my kids listened and loved it. Witches have rhyming words. Sensitive bullying. October is National Bully Awareness Month.
January 22, 2025
This is Abigail's current fav book. Great story not too long.
October 12, 2017
Picture Book #4: This book has amazing illustrations. It has an exciting climax where the main characters learn unique abilities related to their costumes.
October 30, 2014
"One Halloween Night" by Mark Teague is spooky story about three friends and quite the epic Halloween Night. The story starts off leading you on the night will be a terrible Halloween when the trio spots a black cat crossing their path. The old wives tale of a black cat being bad luck starts to ring true when Wendell comes home to find that his mad scientist costume has turned pink in the washing machine. Then floyd found out that he's going to have to take his little sister with him and his friends, and to top it off Mona's mom forces her to be a ridiculous fairy princess complete with a magic wand. Hoping that no one they knew would see them they set out trick or treating hoping the night will be better than they're expecting. With a rocky start to the night the kiddos are just about fed up with all the tricks and so little treats when things take a turn for the worst. Leona Fleebish and her gang of mean witches found them and are ready to pick on the three friends. They try to outrun them but eventually the witches catch up to them, thats when things start getting magical. Each time the kids are cornered they magically escape the clutches of the witches and they end up having a Halloween to remember.
I really love Mark Teague's illustrations. They're so colorful and fun it really brings the book a whole new aspect with his unique way of animating his characters. I also like his sense of humor, at one point the kids are bummed out because they got the worst treats imaginable lie "Broccoli Chews", "Sweet 'n' Sauerkraut" and "Eggplant Fizzlers". Another part that I thought was great was how he included the cat in the story just tagging along on the crazy Hallows Eve adventure. This spooky storybook is very well done and definitely a must for October!
I really love Mark Teague's illustrations. They're so colorful and fun it really brings the book a whole new aspect with his unique way of animating his characters. I also like his sense of humor, at one point the kids are bummed out because they got the worst treats imaginable lie "Broccoli Chews", "Sweet 'n' Sauerkraut" and "Eggplant Fizzlers". Another part that I thought was great was how he included the cat in the story just tagging along on the crazy Hallows Eve adventure. This spooky storybook is very well done and definitely a must for October!
October 23, 2011
I've mentioned before how much I love Mark Teague's 1940s style of paintings. He's the sort of illustrator whose books I will read regardless of the subject or the author. I have also mentioned that my children love Halloween books. One Halloween Night by Mark Teague was a must read book when we saw it at the library.
The book takes the sort of what-if worries of Stinky Face in Happy Halloween Stinky Face and plays them straight. Wendell, Floyd and Leona all have costume problems. They also have to drag along Floyd's baby sister Alice. Then there's the bad or weird candy. To make matters even worse, they're spotted by the bullies! Sounds like a typical Halloween for me as a kid.
But this is a Mark Teague book. He tends to put magic in the least expected places, like the lost and found or in a short cut to school (review coming). Here, it being Halloween, the costumes give their wearers new powers: invisibility potions, swashbuckling, fairy magic. It's just what they need to defeat the bullies and save the night.
The book takes the sort of what-if worries of Stinky Face in Happy Halloween Stinky Face and plays them straight. Wendell, Floyd and Leona all have costume problems. They also have to drag along Floyd's baby sister Alice. Then there's the bad or weird candy. To make matters even worse, they're spotted by the bullies! Sounds like a typical Halloween for me as a kid.
But this is a Mark Teague book. He tends to put magic in the least expected places, like the lost and found or in a short cut to school (review coming). Here, it being Halloween, the costumes give their wearers new powers: invisibility potions, swashbuckling, fairy magic. It's just what they need to defeat the bullies and save the night.
April 14, 2008
Very fun. Mark Teague is one of my favorite illustrators so I was delightfully surpised and pleased when we found this title at the library last month.
The vintage childhood drama of this trick-or-treating adventure is too much fun--it's as if Mark Teague pulled his tales out of a collective childhood memory that we all want to claim as our own classic Halloween.
I'm looking forward to checking this one out again next October.
The vintage childhood drama of this trick-or-treating adventure is too much fun--it's as if Mark Teague pulled his tales out of a collective childhood memory that we all want to claim as our own classic Halloween.
I'm looking forward to checking this one out again next October.
November 15, 2011
This was a fun book....we both enjoyed reading it!
The drawings are fun and the storyline is fun also! I am not familiar with this writer but have many good things about him and we definately enjoyed this book.
Its about a group of kids whose Halloween is not quite starting off right, thanks to a black cat! Things get a little tense when they run into a gang of witches! But they manage to have a good time, get some yummy treats and have a good time.
The drawings are fun and the storyline is fun also! I am not familiar with this writer but have many good things about him and we definately enjoyed this book.
Its about a group of kids whose Halloween is not quite starting off right, thanks to a black cat! Things get a little tense when they run into a gang of witches! But they manage to have a good time, get some yummy treats and have a good time.
November 3, 2009
A brilliant kids book about three friends who just want to avoid the local bully gang and have fun trick or treating.
They manage to do it, but things get a little strange along the way.
Lots of fun and wonderful art from the always entertaining Mark Teague.
One of those books that I enjoyed as much as my kids.
They manage to do it, but things get a little strange along the way.
Lots of fun and wonderful art from the always entertaining Mark Teague.
One of those books that I enjoyed as much as my kids.
October 29, 2014
This book tells of friends going out Trick or treating. It tells of neighborhood bullies. The children use their super powers to get away from the kids who are teasing and following them. It tells of the costumes they wore, and the fears they had of other kids teasing them about those costumes. This is a cute book, with nice illustrations.
November 8, 2014
Publishers Weekly (August 8, 2005)
The hero knows things are off to a bad start when his mad-scientist costume turns pink in the wash. According to PW, "This witty tale gets a boost from hyperbolic, rough-and-tumble acrylics that echo William Joyce's nostalgic work." Ages 3-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
The hero knows things are off to a bad start when his mad-scientist costume turns pink in the wash. According to PW, "This witty tale gets a boost from hyperbolic, rough-and-tumble acrylics that echo William Joyce's nostalgic work." Ages 3-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2014
I enjoyed this little story about a few friends who go trick-or-treating together on Halloween. I liked the somewhat fantasy feel to some parts of the story. The illustrations were intricate and very nice. This would be a good story to read to the middle grade levels near Halloween.
March 28, 2008
I read this every year for Halloween to 2nd grade and the students love it.
April 11, 2008
Very fun story. I pull it out every Halloween and the children ooh and aah. "I remember that story! Can we read it?"
January 12, 2009
Mark Teague is another fine childrens book author. This is a super fun book to read at Halloween or anytime. Some of the same characters show up in his other books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews