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Fright Club #2
Valensteins
Something strange is in the air on this dark, cold night.
The members of Fright Club are always ready to scare, but tonight Fran K. Stein has something else on his mind. He's busy making something, and the other monsters want to know what it is.
Could it be a mask with fangs? A big pink nose? Or maybe a paper butt? No . . . it's a Valentine!
That means one thing . . . EEEEK!! Is Fran in love? What could be scarier than falling in love?!?
In this hilariously spooky story by Geisel Award-winning author and illustrator Ethan Long, even the scariest of monsters have true feelings.
The members of Fright Club are always ready to scare, but tonight Fran K. Stein has something else on his mind. He's busy making something, and the other monsters want to know what it is.
Could it be a mask with fangs? A big pink nose? Or maybe a paper butt? No . . . it's a Valentine!
That means one thing . . . EEEEK!! Is Fran in love? What could be scarier than falling in love?!?
In this hilariously spooky story by Geisel Award-winning author and illustrator Ethan Long, even the scariest of monsters have true feelings.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
3 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Ethan Long
184 books80 followersEthan Long is a popular, award-winning and internationally recognized children's book author and illustrator with over 70 children's books, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award and an Emmy-nominated television series to his credit. Just about all of his awake time is spent writing stories, drawing pictures and spending time with his family. Since graduating from Ringling College of Art and Design in 1991, Ethan has never stopped evolving, challenging his creative approach with each new project while constantly honing his instantly identifiable style. Born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, his childhood memories serve as inspiration for many of his drawings and stories. He currently lives with his wife and three children in beautiful Orlando, Florida, USA and flip flops seamlessly between being a world famous children's book author and a stay-at-home dad.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
February 14, 2019
OMG! My nephew loved this book. It is funny too. Frank, his favorite is making a Valentine heart out of pink paper. They learn what that means and everything about love grosses out all the other kids like the ghost, the witch and Drac. It reminds me of little kids. It is really funny. There is actually a great message with this; love is about what’s inside your heart and what you can share. This is a super cute story.
The nephew gave this 5 stars plus a billion. He loved the monsters. The niece thought it was a bit juvenile and she gave it 3, but she also giggled through it too.
The monsters really keep this from being super sugary sweet. It’s well done and maybe all the holidays need monsters. Just kidding, sort of.
The nephew gave this 5 stars plus a billion. He loved the monsters. The niece thought it was a bit juvenile and she gave it 3, but she also giggled through it too.
The monsters really keep this from being super sugary sweet. It’s well done and maybe all the holidays need monsters. Just kidding, sort of.
May 19, 2018
So, I decided to read a love story to coincide with the royal wedding and naturally chose a picture book. The Fright Club members are all practising their scares, from the ghost’s Boo! to the butterfly’s Blah!, but Fran K. Stein is doing something weird with pink paper, scissors and glue.
Several of the Club members try to guess what Fran is making (the ghost’s paper butt guess is the best one) before Bunny explains what Fran is really up to. It turns out that it’s Valentine’s Day and Fran has made a pink paper heart, which leads Sandy the witch to wonder the scariest thing of all…
The illustrations in this book are adorable! With muted colours and expressive characters I loved every picture. My favourites are those that show the horror of the Fright Club members when Bunny is explaining what love is.
This culminates in a two page illustration with the characters’ “EEEEWWW!” expressions. Sandy the witch looks decidedly nauseous and may vomit at any moment. The ghost has its eyes screwed up tightly and its tongue has escaped its mouth, looking to be mid “Blech!” The spider’s eyes are goggled. Vladimir, the werewolf, mummy and butterfly also have priceless expressions.
I’ve read this book three times over the last couple of weeks and I love it each time. In fact, if any of you are desperately searching for a Valentine’s Day present for me 😜 I’d love my own copy of this book. I definitely have to read Ethan Long’s other books, especially this book’s companion Fright Club.
Several of the Club members try to guess what Fran is making (the ghost’s paper butt guess is the best one) before Bunny explains what Fran is really up to. It turns out that it’s Valentine’s Day and Fran has made a pink paper heart, which leads Sandy the witch to wonder the scariest thing of all…
“Do you think Fran … gulp … is in LOVE?”Bunny then tells the bewildered Fright Club members what love is, terrifying them more and more with each new piece of information. Fran is reminded what love really is when his Valentine appears. Aww! 💕
The illustrations in this book are adorable! With muted colours and expressive characters I loved every picture. My favourites are those that show the horror of the Fright Club members when Bunny is explaining what love is.
This culminates in a two page illustration with the characters’ “EEEEWWW!” expressions. Sandy the witch looks decidedly nauseous and may vomit at any moment. The ghost has its eyes screwed up tightly and its tongue has escaped its mouth, looking to be mid “Blech!” The spider’s eyes are goggled. Vladimir, the werewolf, mummy and butterfly also have priceless expressions.
I’ve read this book three times over the last couple of weeks and I love it each time. In fact, if any of you are desperately searching for a Valentine’s Day present for me 😜 I’d love my own copy of this book. I definitely have to read Ethan Long’s other books, especially this book’s companion Fright Club.
October 11, 2018
What do you get when you mix the monsters of Hallowe'en with the season of love? This cute little story by Ethan Long! When Fran is caught cutting out a paper heart by all of his friends, they wonder what's going on. It is only when someone discovers that Fran may be in 'love' that things get a little intense. The ghoulish gang learns about love in all its forms and wonders if Fran can be feeling all that. Wanting to isolate himself, Fran takes things into his own hands and discovers that sometimes, love just cannot be put into words. Neo liked this story, finding some of the reactions a little funny. With some great themes in a short piece, this is a wonderful book for the young reader, either to read or listen to someone else!
October 19, 2018
“Do you think Fran… gulp …is in LOVE? EEEEk!”
Valensteins by Ethan Long is a silly, sweet tale about Fran K. Stein falling in love. His friends, who we met in Fright Club, try to explain and understand the thump-thump-thump of the heart when love comes into play. I won’t get too mushy on you. I’ll let the monster gang tell you all about the fluttering eyes, paper hearts, and feelings. Feelings! EEEEK! Haha….For me, this was a fun way of trying to explain love to young readers.
This Halloween meets Valentine’s Day read made me smile and laugh. Even the yucky love parts made me smile. :D You have to see Fran’s sweet, shy smile.
Recommended. Check it out!
July 20, 2018
This was super cute.
And paper hearts do look like butts.
And paper hearts do look like butts.
February 10, 2020
Rounded up because I liked the effort of trying to explain what love is
"...love isn't about being mushy mushy or fluttering your eyes or kissing someone on the lips... ...and it certainly isn't about cutting out paper hearts. "Tee-hee! It looks like a paper butt." It's about something you feel in your real hear, even if it does feel a little funny sometimes." 12/26/17
Got a lot of laughs at Preschool Story Time
"...love isn't about being mushy mushy or fluttering your eyes or kissing someone on the lips... ...and it certainly isn't about cutting out paper hearts. "Tee-hee! It looks like a paper butt." It's about something you feel in your real hear, even if it does feel a little funny sometimes." 12/26/17
Got a lot of laughs at Preschool Story Time
October 12, 2018
That monstrous crew, the Fright Club, return in this second picture-book devoted to their adventures, this time confronting the terrifying reality of... love! Fran K. Stein in making a Valentine, something his fellow monsters (and other cute members of the club) have trouble understanding. Surely love, with its mushiness and kissing, is gross? Or is it...?
Like its predecessor, Valensteins pairs an engagingly spooky tale with appealing, dark-toned illustrations. Young children will enjoy the silly humor, as the members of the club try to figure out what the pink heart Fran K. Stein is cutting out, is meant to be. Could it be a pink butt? The teeth of a frightening mask? The conclusion, in which our hero and his lady love are labeled "weird" for sitting and looking at the moon, had me finishing up the story with a chuckle. Recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed Fright Club , or who is looking for spookier Valentine's Day fare for the picture-book set.
Like its predecessor, Valensteins pairs an engagingly spooky tale with appealing, dark-toned illustrations. Young children will enjoy the silly humor, as the members of the club try to figure out what the pink heart Fran K. Stein is cutting out, is meant to be. Could it be a pink butt? The teeth of a frightening mask? The conclusion, in which our hero and his lady love are labeled "weird" for sitting and looking at the moon, had me finishing up the story with a chuckle. Recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed Fright Club , or who is looking for spookier Valentine's Day fare for the picture-book set.
January 26, 2018
Imagine the “Monster Mash” song as a Valentine’s Day picture book, and you’ll have the general idea of Ethan Long’s Valensteins. It’s mostly just silly fun (with two butt jokes) about Frankenstein’s crush and his monster friends’ attempts to understand it. The final pages move beyond the silliness to a statement about how love is more than “being mushy mushy or fluttering your eyes or kissing someone on the lips.”
March 11, 2018
I think this is the first children's book I have read about when one child starts getting crushes and their friends are all still at the thinking it's gross stage. It could probably be better, but it fills an empty spot and telling the story with monsters give kids who don't care about the subject matter yet a way in.
January 20, 2018
SO CUTE.
February 6, 2018
Funny Valentine's spoof with tons of heart.
February 10, 2018
Very cute. Lots of opportunity for read-aloud fun with this one, as the options for funny voices are endless.
February 13, 2021
This was a cute book. My grandson enjoyed it.
Read
April 20, 2019These are always so cute!
February 1, 2019
My new favorite Valentine book. Would be a hilarious read aloud - I can already see the kids laughing. Totally caught me off guard. I was cracking up in the store reading it.
January 31, 2018
I think this would be a hit for storytime, lots of comedy. May use for my Valentine's storytime.
September 10, 2018
So cute and really told about liking someone.
February 16, 2019
Maddie loved this one and Kait loved the silliness.
November 26, 2019
A cute book with Halloween characters for Valentines. The illustrations are in a black and white old photograph/tv style to give it that vintage look.
September 2, 2021
I loved it, it made me giggle.
February 10, 2019
Pretty funny little story about a monstrous Valentine's Day celebration. I particularly liked how the paper hearts were mistaken for pink butts. Tee hee.
January 20, 2019
I bought this to read for my son's first grade Valentine's class. We haven't read it for the class yet, but my son thought it was hilarious. He thought it was a great book for me to read to his class... even though it does have some "kissy" language in there. But the EEEWWW's made up for it and the "hey that looks like a paper butt" -- very appropriate for my son. Lol.
I am only giving it 4 stars because I felt that the art work was very dark - as in hard to see - on some pages and I wished it was lighter so that it'd be easier for the class to see.
But otherwise this is a great book for first graders. I'd even say kinder - 2nd grade.
I am only giving it 4 stars because I felt that the art work was very dark - as in hard to see - on some pages and I wished it was lighter so that it'd be easier for the class to see.
But otherwise this is a great book for first graders. I'd even say kinder - 2nd grade.
February 14, 2018
This is cute children’s book. So, what is love? Does it make your heart feel like butterflies? Does it make you feel all mushy inside? Does it mean you have to kiss someone? To the individuals at Fran’s Fright Club, they think falling in love sounds terrifying and yucky yet to Fran, it feels just right.
This children’s book had me laughing and smiling as I turned the pages and I thought my granddaughter would just love it. Fran is caught making a pink heart by Vladimir and Vladimir proceeds to let everyone know in the Fright Club exactly what Fran is doing. No scary noises for him tonight. Pretty soon, the whole club is in on the action, voicing their opinions as to what this actually means. Is Fran in love and what does love actually mean? Oh, my goodness this is a funny and comical book. Fran though, does not let his friends get him down as they poke fun at him. The illustrations are an added bonus and you just have to read the book a second time, it is just that good! I love it, I can’t stop looking at the pages and smiling. I want to share it, I am sure everyone will enjoy it. It’s not just for Valentine’s Day, it’s a fun read, everyday book.
This children’s book had me laughing and smiling as I turned the pages and I thought my granddaughter would just love it. Fran is caught making a pink heart by Vladimir and Vladimir proceeds to let everyone know in the Fright Club exactly what Fran is doing. No scary noises for him tonight. Pretty soon, the whole club is in on the action, voicing their opinions as to what this actually means. Is Fran in love and what does love actually mean? Oh, my goodness this is a funny and comical book. Fran though, does not let his friends get him down as they poke fun at him. The illustrations are an added bonus and you just have to read the book a second time, it is just that good! I love it, I can’t stop looking at the pages and smiling. I want to share it, I am sure everyone will enjoy it. It’s not just for Valentine’s Day, it’s a fun read, everyday book.
January 6, 2018
this story is so adorable!!! All of the Halloween "monster" talking about love. The pictures were fun the story was not wordy at all. It was hilarious to read and look at. If I read this to my children I would have to do during the day because I think that this would get them worked up at bedtime laughing. A storytime is a must with this. It explains what love is, how it feels, and maybe how to act on it. If there was a craft afterwards, a simple one would be a paper heart like in the story. This was so much fun!!!
January 30, 2018
Frankenstein (Fran) is making a paper heart Valentine for his sweetie and all of his friends are curious. What IS it? A paper nose? A paper bat? A butt? (hahahaha!) Only the rabbit seems to know what’s going on and the monsters listen with rapt attention (and then horror) as he explains about Valentine’s Day, and then LOVE. Fran goes outside to get some air, then meets his sweetheart and gives her the Valentine. She thinks it looks like a butt, too. This is a silly and funny story that will have kids squealing with laughter, but which has its heart in the right place.
February 14, 2018
Fran K. Stein is making a pink heart valentine for someone. The rest of the Fright Club begins to give him a hard time. They explain that valentine's are for people who love each other. Love is mushy, mushy and eye-fluttering and... oh. My. Goodness: KISSING ON THE LIPS!!!!
In the end Frank shows that love is not necessarily any of those things. Love is a real feeling.
Children will squeal with delight at this story. Definitely recommended for a storytime.
In the end Frank shows that love is not necessarily any of those things. Love is a real feeling.
Children will squeal with delight at this story. Definitely recommended for a storytime.
February 21, 2018
Laugh out loud funny! While all the other monsters in the treehouse are practicing their howls and growls, Fran is cutting out a pink heart. No one knows what it is at first... half of a set of fangs, bat wings, a paper butt? But when they figure out that Fran is in love, they are all grossed out! Fran isn't fazed though, he takes his paper heart outside and sits with his 'girlfriend' and stares at the moon. YUCK! :)
February 11, 2018
In this companion title to Fright Club, with all of the club members included, Fran makes a valentine. Of course the gang wants to know why, Fran stays silent as Bunny informs the club, "That's when two people feel all mushy mushy about each other." But Fran has ideas of his own. A delightful short valentine story about true love. Perfect read aloud for Valentine's week.
March 22, 2018
Wow! Cet album est tout simplement magnifique! L'on utilise les doubles-pages à leur plein potentiel, l'on suscite l'attente par une mise en scène merveilleusement orchestrée, et l'on retrouve des personnages tout à fait touchants et hilarants. Je recommande fortement la lecture de cet album à la Saint-Valentin avec les tout-petits!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews