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Halloween: Stories and Poems
A collection of Halloween stories and poems by a variety of authors. Includes recipes and a bibliography.
96 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 1, 2025
I have to admit, my expectations were pretty low going into this. But yesterday was Halloween 2025, and I thought a Halloween-themed anthology for kids would be a fun read.
And it was. The anthology is much shorter than it appears, due to lots of illustrations and white space. The selections, which were heavy on short poems, were a wide variety in terms of mood. A couple actually creeped me out ... and I'm nearly 56.
The illustrations by Peter Sis had a touch of Edward Gorey and a heaping helping of Sir John Tenniel. There is rarely a perfect match of text and art, but here it is. Enjoy. But keep a light on.
Selections:
* "King of the Cats" by Joseph Jacobs. Retold by Paul Galdone. Short and annoying bit with repetition about a gravedigger seeing a funeral for a cat, mourned by cats.
* "Halloween" by Phyllis J. Perry. Bizarre rhyming poem which goes from the creeps to the treats.
* "To Pumpkins at Pumpkin Time" by Grace Cornell Tall. Now you know why your kid refuses to eat anything with pumpkin in it -- s/he's read this little poem and looked at the terrified gourd in the illustration.
* "Alone" by Sharon Hudson. The poem is nothing -- but the illustration of a little girl sitting on a couch that looks back at her freaks me the fuck out.
* "Ghosts" by Kit Wright. No illustration here about two people arguing about the existence of ghosts.
* "The Princess and the Frog" by Susan Cohen Field. Poem that takes the old fairy tale and turns it on its head.
* "I'm Skelton" by Lilian Moore. A dog is not a skeleton's best friend. The illustration is particularly good.
* "Forbidden Sounds" by Eric James. Some practical advice for kids whenever they hear scary sounds.
* "The Witch! The Witch!" By Eleanor Farjeon. Funny quatrain ... but I couldn't help but wonder that someone got PAID for writing that.
* "I Once Dressed Up" by Robert Fisher. Free form verse of a kid scaring his Mum half to death.
* "The Hairy Toe, A Story" by Anonymous. Although a story, it's really a poem ... and a rather pointless one, at that. I think it's something you read out loud to little kids and do all sorts of gestures, but they're not mentioned here. Can't imagine why the woman was scared when it was discovered she took the random bodyless toe to her bed. There was a very easy place to hide it.
* "Gravestone Epithaphs" compiled by Our Editor. Not all of these are actual epitaphs, but that's not the point, apparently.
* "The Jigsaw Puzzle, A Story" by J. B. Scamper. And now you know why your kids refuse to do anymore jigsaw puzzles.
* "The Haunted House" by Victoria Crume. Seems to be a sequel to "Antigonish" by Hughes Mearns, also known as "I Met a Man Who Wasn't There." The illustrator went extra creepy here.
* "Pumpkin" by Valarie Worth. One of the best Halloween poems you've never heard of. Nicely unpretentious.
* "In the Dark" by Jane Pridmore. Excellent description of why kids are scared of the dark ... and a lot of adults, to tell the truth.
* "Curses!" By Michael Patrick Hearne. Not a list of choice four letter words, but two witches placing a curse in each other.
* "Wicked Witch's Kitchen" by X. J. Kennedy. If X. J. is any relation to RFK, Jr., this poem will explain a lot.
* "Ghosts" by Harry Behn. This little rhymed poem is the first boring selection in the anthology.
* "Fog" by Lilian Moore. Not as scary as the London pea-souper of December, 1952, but has some fun with the language.
* "The Bogus-Boo" by James Reeves. Silly Ogden Nash type poem about a fierce looking but harmless critter.
* "Spider on the Floor" by Anonymous. Not sure if this was the lyrics to an old folk song, or what.
* "Ghostly Antidotes" compiled by Our Editor. Kids -- don't try this at home.
* "The Bed Just So, A Story" Retold by Jeanne B. Hardendorff. The modern horror story -- never getting enough sleep. The illustrations were genuinely creepy.
* "Scary Things" by Julie Holder. This little rhymed poem lists a few things that scare little kids, or the poet, anyway.
* "Something is There" by Lilian Moore. Okay -- did Moore sleep with Our Editor or something? This is her third poem here, and yet another variation of meeting something on the stairs.
* "Ghost" by Jack Prelutsky. Casper breaks the creepy vibe the book had.
* "Night Scare" by Judith Viorst. The narrator of this poem doesn't trust the last poem.
* "Hallowe'en Ad" by Grace Cornell Tall. Oh my Gawd -- I remember as a kid meeting people who insisted on spelling Halloween that way. The ad is basically, "Free: One Freaky Spider."
* "Under the Stairs" by Daphne Lister. I never realized that stairs were so scary. I have arthritis, so stairs are already intimidating, but jeezus.
* "Spooks" by Nathalia Crane. I'm not a fan of rambling rhymed poems like this, but your milage may vary.
* "The Visitor" by Ian Serraillier. Moral: Never marry a cheapskate.
* "Halloween Recipes" compiled by Our Editor. Three things you'll never make, nicely illustrated.
* "Read About Halloween". This was a suggested reading list with commentary a few pages long.
And it was. The anthology is much shorter than it appears, due to lots of illustrations and white space. The selections, which were heavy on short poems, were a wide variety in terms of mood. A couple actually creeped me out ... and I'm nearly 56.
The illustrations by Peter Sis had a touch of Edward Gorey and a heaping helping of Sir John Tenniel. There is rarely a perfect match of text and art, but here it is. Enjoy. But keep a light on.
Selections:
* "King of the Cats" by Joseph Jacobs. Retold by Paul Galdone. Short and annoying bit with repetition about a gravedigger seeing a funeral for a cat, mourned by cats.
* "Halloween" by Phyllis J. Perry. Bizarre rhyming poem which goes from the creeps to the treats.
* "To Pumpkins at Pumpkin Time" by Grace Cornell Tall. Now you know why your kid refuses to eat anything with pumpkin in it -- s/he's read this little poem and looked at the terrified gourd in the illustration.
* "Alone" by Sharon Hudson. The poem is nothing -- but the illustration of a little girl sitting on a couch that looks back at her freaks me the fuck out.
* "Ghosts" by Kit Wright. No illustration here about two people arguing about the existence of ghosts.
* "The Princess and the Frog" by Susan Cohen Field. Poem that takes the old fairy tale and turns it on its head.
* "I'm Skelton" by Lilian Moore. A dog is not a skeleton's best friend. The illustration is particularly good.
* "Forbidden Sounds" by Eric James. Some practical advice for kids whenever they hear scary sounds.
* "The Witch! The Witch!" By Eleanor Farjeon. Funny quatrain ... but I couldn't help but wonder that someone got PAID for writing that.
* "I Once Dressed Up" by Robert Fisher. Free form verse of a kid scaring his Mum half to death.
* "The Hairy Toe, A Story" by Anonymous. Although a story, it's really a poem ... and a rather pointless one, at that. I think it's something you read out loud to little kids and do all sorts of gestures, but they're not mentioned here. Can't imagine why the woman was scared when it was discovered she took the random bodyless toe to her bed. There was a very easy place to hide it.
* "Gravestone Epithaphs" compiled by Our Editor. Not all of these are actual epitaphs, but that's not the point, apparently.
* "The Jigsaw Puzzle, A Story" by J. B. Scamper. And now you know why your kids refuse to do anymore jigsaw puzzles.
* "The Haunted House" by Victoria Crume. Seems to be a sequel to "Antigonish" by Hughes Mearns, also known as "I Met a Man Who Wasn't There." The illustrator went extra creepy here.
* "Pumpkin" by Valarie Worth. One of the best Halloween poems you've never heard of. Nicely unpretentious.
* "In the Dark" by Jane Pridmore. Excellent description of why kids are scared of the dark ... and a lot of adults, to tell the truth.
* "Curses!" By Michael Patrick Hearne. Not a list of choice four letter words, but two witches placing a curse in each other.
* "Wicked Witch's Kitchen" by X. J. Kennedy. If X. J. is any relation to RFK, Jr., this poem will explain a lot.
* "Ghosts" by Harry Behn. This little rhymed poem is the first boring selection in the anthology.
* "Fog" by Lilian Moore. Not as scary as the London pea-souper of December, 1952, but has some fun with the language.
* "The Bogus-Boo" by James Reeves. Silly Ogden Nash type poem about a fierce looking but harmless critter.
* "Spider on the Floor" by Anonymous. Not sure if this was the lyrics to an old folk song, or what.
* "Ghostly Antidotes" compiled by Our Editor. Kids -- don't try this at home.
* "The Bed Just So, A Story" Retold by Jeanne B. Hardendorff. The modern horror story -- never getting enough sleep. The illustrations were genuinely creepy.
* "Scary Things" by Julie Holder. This little rhymed poem lists a few things that scare little kids, or the poet, anyway.
* "Something is There" by Lilian Moore. Okay -- did Moore sleep with Our Editor or something? This is her third poem here, and yet another variation of meeting something on the stairs.
* "Ghost" by Jack Prelutsky. Casper breaks the creepy vibe the book had.
* "Night Scare" by Judith Viorst. The narrator of this poem doesn't trust the last poem.
* "Hallowe'en Ad" by Grace Cornell Tall. Oh my Gawd -- I remember as a kid meeting people who insisted on spelling Halloween that way. The ad is basically, "Free: One Freaky Spider."
* "Under the Stairs" by Daphne Lister. I never realized that stairs were so scary. I have arthritis, so stairs are already intimidating, but jeezus.
* "Spooks" by Nathalia Crane. I'm not a fan of rambling rhymed poems like this, but your milage may vary.
* "The Visitor" by Ian Serraillier. Moral: Never marry a cheapskate.
* "Halloween Recipes" compiled by Our Editor. Three things you'll never make, nicely illustrated.
* "Read About Halloween". This was a suggested reading list with commentary a few pages long.
June 23, 2010
The book wasn't scary. But, some of the stories were interesting and the poems were very fun.
I especially liked the stories King of the cats, The Jigsaw Puzzle, and The Bed Just So is also good. My favorite poem is probably The Visitor. Not scary, but sort of creepy and leaves you thinking. I love the illustrations as well. I think they are very nice. The book is perfect for Halloween and children.
I especially liked the stories King of the cats, The Jigsaw Puzzle, and The Bed Just So is also good. My favorite poem is probably The Visitor. Not scary, but sort of creepy and leaves you thinking. I love the illustrations as well. I think they are very nice. The book is perfect for Halloween and children.
October 12, 2017
Of course, it's October and I wanted to add a little Holiday fun to my festive mix of books! Halloween is a bewitching book chock full of suspenseful, exciting and funny literature. This books is an editorial anthology, meaning that the Caroline Feller Bauer compiled, sifted and selected all of the different stories and poems to include in the book. In Ch. 10 of Inside Outside and Upside Down... Schneider remarks that most children have a more meaningful connection with poems that are contemporary and funny! She also compiles a list of authors who write specifically for children where the poems range from novel and whimsical, to eerie and creepy, to even ponderous and status-quo changing. I appreciate Bauer celebrating different flavors within one book. There's room for all kinds of poems in the literary world! So lets let in the spooky, funny, and thrilling stories! It's October after all!
November 29, 2020
Just not good at all. Not one poem or story is good.
The illustrations are good but not enough to save the book.
The illustrations are good but not enough to save the book.
November 2, 2021
A delightful kids book full supernatural wickedness and spooky charms!
January 17, 2022
Great collection. Some notably fun and scary stories with lots of variety in voice.
November 7, 2013
This is an entertaining collection of stories and poems with a Halloween theme. Some don't necessarily refer to the holiday, but they are either scary or autumn-themed.
The first story, King of the Cats, was a shorter version of the tale we'd just discovered on Aaron Shepard's website, www.aaronshep.com. The poems and stories range from humorous to scary, but none are too creepy.
The black and white illustrations are more often than not comical and strange more than scary, which might be helpful when reading this book with younger children. There are also three recipes at the end of the book that sound pretty tasty. Overall, it was a fun book to read aloud and we enjoyed reading it together.
Ghostly Cookies
You need:
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 1/2 cups honey
3 cups powdered milk
3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
powdered sugar
To make:
Mix together the first five ingredients. Roll into small balls and then coat with powdered sugar. This recipe makes about five dozen cookies.
The first story, King of the Cats, was a shorter version of the tale we'd just discovered on Aaron Shepard's website, www.aaronshep.com. The poems and stories range from humorous to scary, but none are too creepy.
The black and white illustrations are more often than not comical and strange more than scary, which might be helpful when reading this book with younger children. There are also three recipes at the end of the book that sound pretty tasty. Overall, it was a fun book to read aloud and we enjoyed reading it together.
Ghostly Cookies
You need:
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 1/2 cups honey
3 cups powdered milk
3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
powdered sugar
To make:
Mix together the first five ingredients. Roll into small balls and then coat with powdered sugar. This recipe makes about five dozen cookies.
October 6, 2010
Interesting range of stories. Some of them were fantastic, some of them weren't that great. It was the same with the poems, some were great and others were difficult to read and didn't flow well at all. Overall, it was worth the read. The book also includes some fun recipes in the back.
Read
December 13, 2012I'd rate this a 4.0, it is about a bunch of poems, I could finish in one day, my favorite is the jigsaw puzzle, it is long, it is about a girl solving a puzzle, saying THE STRANGEST PUZZLE, she put all the pieces, but looked exactly liked the background, then she felt terrified.
July 20, 2009
This is a fun book with some short stories, lots of poetry and even a few recipes. This would be a good book to share with children around Halloween time.
October 24, 2013
A variety of poems for children about Halloween. Would recommend this for upper elementary age students
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews