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Scary Godmother #1-4 + story
Scary Godmother: Omnibus
It's Halloween night and it's up to Scary Godmother to show one little girl just how much fun spooky can be! Meet Hannah Marie, who, with the help of Scary Godmother, stands up to her mean-spirited cousin Jimmy and her fear of monsters on her first Halloween adventure with the big kids. Later, Hannah joins forces with Orson, the vampire boy, to unravel a mystery near and dear to their hearts. Some of Scary Godmother's closest (and most frightful) pals get in on the fun too, including Bugaboo, the Boozle, and Skully Pettibone.
207 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2006
42 people are currently reading
661 people want to read
About the author
Jill Thompson
310 books259 followersJill Thompson is an American comic book writer and illustrator. Probably best known for her work on Neil Gaiman's Sandman characters and her own Scary Godmother series, she has also worked on The Invisibles, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman and more recently, Beasts of Burden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
October 31, 2020
I watched the two Halloween specials a lot years ago and reading this collection they were based on, it’s a bit more different but definitely entertaining. The collection mainly centers on Hannah, a little girl and her adventures with her Scary Godmother and her monster friends on Halloween night. A great collection that any Halloween lover will love as each short story is well illustrated and at times feel like a picture book mixed with a comic. Happy Halloween! 🎃 🐺 👻 💀A- (91%/Excellent)
October 24, 2010
Yesterday, I went to a signing that the incredibly talented and fun Jill Thompson did. There were stacks and stacks of this hardcover there. I had been a fan of her work on series like "The Invisibles" and "Sandman", but had not seen any of Jill's work on characters that SHE had created.
I picked this hardcover up and as soon as I got home last night, I read a couple of the stories. As I read, I discovered that a smile had grown on my lips as Jill had taken me back to childhood and all those spooky, fun nights trick-or-treating. We'd carry plastic pumpkins and trade stories about that one house that everyone was afraid of and had to run past. We'd get our costumes on, go downtown for the Halloween parade, watch a scary show or movie when we got home...
As this magical feeling streams though your heart and mind when you read "Scary Godmother", your eyes are treated Jill's wonderful, spookily beautiful paintings. It's been a while since someone has so sucessfully pulled me entirely into a world of their creation. This won't be my last visit.
I picked this hardcover up and as soon as I got home last night, I read a couple of the stories. As I read, I discovered that a smile had grown on my lips as Jill had taken me back to childhood and all those spooky, fun nights trick-or-treating. We'd carry plastic pumpkins and trade stories about that one house that everyone was afraid of and had to run past. We'd get our costumes on, go downtown for the Halloween parade, watch a scary show or movie when we got home...
As this magical feeling streams though your heart and mind when you read "Scary Godmother", your eyes are treated Jill's wonderful, spookily beautiful paintings. It's been a while since someone has so sucessfully pulled me entirely into a world of their creation. This won't be my last visit.
April 19, 2020
This is a fun series of books (which are all collected in this volume) that challenges us to face our fears. The art is fun as creepy monsters interact with children--at first scaring them, but ultimately becoming their friends.
October 24, 2022
This was super cute. I’m so glad I found this because I loved the Cartoon Network movies when I was younger and so it was fun to see where it came from. I really like the art styles and just the premise of the characters of this book I think it’s just so fun especially for Halloween.
November 1, 2014
3.5 stars. Fun one for kids, perhaps especially for the ones prone to getting the heebie jeebies. All the monsters and creepy folk in Scary Godmother's world are actually just big sweeties who enjoy a good scare. The first story's the best one, and the artwork is cheerfully spooky.
July 10, 2025
Hannah is going trick-or-treating with the big kids for the first time, and she doesn't have to be afraid because her Scary Godmother will be there whenever she's scared. Years go by, and Hannah continues to explore the Fright Side, meeting skeletons, monsters, and cryptids.
This book started out with a fun balance of "baby Betty Boop learns real facts about bats and skeletons" with "wow, some kids are mean, but at least they sometimes get better." The stories got better for a while. But I'm really not sure what happened at the end there. Everything just went off the rails and not in a fun way. I can't say I loved the characters in this book, but I at least liked some of them. So it was probably a bad choice to give them all different personalities in the last story. I really like the artwork and many of the concepts in this book, and I wanted to like it. But I also just really wanted it to be over. It's worth picking up for a few spooky laughs, but I wouldn't fault anyone for DNFing after a while.
This book started out with a fun balance of "baby Betty Boop learns real facts about bats and skeletons" with "wow, some kids are mean, but at least they sometimes get better." The stories got better for a while. But I'm really not sure what happened at the end there. Everything just went off the rails and not in a fun way. I can't say I loved the characters in this book, but I at least liked some of them. So it was probably a bad choice to give them all different personalities in the last story. I really like the artwork and many of the concepts in this book, and I wanted to like it. But I also just really wanted it to be over. It's worth picking up for a few spooky laughs, but I wouldn't fault anyone for DNFing after a while.
November 7, 2018
This is great, especially for its target audience which are younger readers. I was familiar with Jill Thompson's more mature work for DC/Vertigo, but really I think this is more where she shines. She does an excellent job at writing a Halloween theme story for younger readers that is a little creepy but far from really scary. Her art is excellent in this format. I've never seen the animated series but from what I understand it's popular as well. As an aside, it's fairly obvious the Scary Godmother is based on Thompson herself, which really just makes it all cooler. The main character is a girl, but there's a main boy character as well so I think both boys and girls will like this one.
This story is aimed at kids, but it's a fun read for adults as well. If you have any readers in your family from say ages 5-10 that love Halloween, this is something they need to read for sure.
This story is aimed at kids, but it's a fun read for adults as well. If you have any readers in your family from say ages 5-10 that love Halloween, this is something they need to read for sure.
August 4, 2020
I loved this for all the spooky fun feels and the beautifully rendered artwork. This made me want to watch the specials (which I did) and they still hold up to me. This book was kind of hard to find but if you can’t get your hand on it or even the comics I highly recommend! Super cute and can be appreciated by all ages 🥰
June 26, 2020
This was cute. The stories about a young girl and her cousin as well as the monsters that can only come out at Halloween. There is plenty of humor and the artwork is wonderful.
March 26, 2017
Text: 3 stars
Art: 5 stars
Full-color children's graphic novel about a little girl who befriends her "scary godmother" to deal with her fear of Halloween and its array of monsters. Very Halloween-focused. Fun cast of characters on the "Fright Side," including an animated skeleton, ghost cat, werewolf, family of vampires, and a large blue hairy monster. Protagonist is very young, probably pre-school or kindergarten age.
Not scary enough for middle schoolers, but just right for elementary school students. The format, in which the chapters all read as separate stories, also works well for that age group, since youngsters can read and digest the book in pieces, or even separate sittings.
The book's format is a bit odd - something of a cross between a picture book and a graphic novel. The art is definitely sequential, but there are many inserts of text between frames. The additional text ranges from a single sentence to an entire paragraph, but sometimes it is missing altogether, creating a lack of balance, consistency, and predictability. I find this text distracting and feel the dialogue could have been strengthened to stand on its own. Often the text repeats what is already being said within the frames, but sometimes it is new information. Sometimes the new information would best be read between talk bubbles in the same frame. So even when it is needed, it feels in the way.
The art is marvelous. Back of the book contains a lengthy peek into the creator's sketchbook, including the various facial expressions of the characters, but also some extra color art not found in the stories.
Art: 5 stars
Full-color children's graphic novel about a little girl who befriends her "scary godmother" to deal with her fear of Halloween and its array of monsters. Very Halloween-focused. Fun cast of characters on the "Fright Side," including an animated skeleton, ghost cat, werewolf, family of vampires, and a large blue hairy monster. Protagonist is very young, probably pre-school or kindergarten age.
Not scary enough for middle schoolers, but just right for elementary school students. The format, in which the chapters all read as separate stories, also works well for that age group, since youngsters can read and digest the book in pieces, or even separate sittings.
The book's format is a bit odd - something of a cross between a picture book and a graphic novel. The art is definitely sequential, but there are many inserts of text between frames. The additional text ranges from a single sentence to an entire paragraph, but sometimes it is missing altogether, creating a lack of balance, consistency, and predictability. I find this text distracting and feel the dialogue could have been strengthened to stand on its own. Often the text repeats what is already being said within the frames, but sometimes it is new information. Sometimes the new information would best be read between talk bubbles in the same frame. So even when it is needed, it feels in the way.
The art is marvelous. Back of the book contains a lengthy peek into the creator's sketchbook, including the various facial expressions of the characters, but also some extra color art not found in the stories.
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October 31, 2020Cosily spooky adventures in that idealised American anywhere which is apparently now known as 'Spielburbia', though to me its autumn incarnation at least will always primarily be Ray Bradbury country*. I knew from Beasts Of Burden that Jill Thompson could evoke the turning leaves just as well as the haints, but here the scares are PG if that, the faintest frisson of fear being all that's needed for the wonderfully wide-eyed little girl off on her first trick or treat, then abandoned by the cousin she idolises but who doesn't want the baby tagging along. Of course, he soon gets his comeuppance courtesy of the Scary Godmother, who is pretty much Jack Skellington in the body of Tori Amos, and likewise has a coterie of ghosts and ghoulies in tow. The monster under the bed is especially huggable-looking, yet somehow it never quite collapses into toothlessness, even as all ends well and nobody ever gets worse from the vampires and skeletons than a bit of a fright. Sequels follow, all equally wholesome. In short, it's lovely, although the story where Hallowe'en is nearly cancelled because Scary has the Boo Flu was a little too close to home. Imagine that happening on a once-in-more-than-a-mortal-lifetime Saturday Full Moon Hallowe'en, and no little Hannah Maria or monster medicine to save us! Oh, wait.
*Into whose short stories I've also been dipping lately, and oh he was the unrivalled laureate of Hallowe'en, wasn't he? Which I already knew, though I was still surprised to realise how much of an influence Homecoming must have been on the series of What We Do In The Shadows.
*Into whose short stories I've also been dipping lately, and oh he was the unrivalled laureate of Hallowe'en, wasn't he? Which I already knew, though I was still surprised to realise how much of an influence Homecoming must have been on the series of What We Do In The Shadows.
May 23, 2020
Super cute! Even as an adult, I loved it! Halloween is my favorite holiday so any books about Halloween I just eat up! Beautifully illustrated and clever rhymes and storylines! A book for all ages at any time of the year!
October 30, 2025
Sometimes I wonder why I’m so into horror and spooky season and then I remember I watched Scary Godmother religiously every year as a kid😭 The art style is still so intriguing, the characters are the best, and the nostalgia of it all brings me so much joy it hurts🥲🫶
October 19, 2016
If I were under 12 years old, I'd probably go bonkers over everything about the Scary Godmother stories. But I'm not, so while I LOVED the art, the stories were meh. I could live in those pictures, though; uncanny, whimsical, and bursting with colors that scream Halloween.
Includes Scary Godmother, The Revenge of Jimmy, The Mystery Date, The Boo Flu, the short story "Tea for Orson" and about 20 pages of concept art.
4 stars (all for the illustrations)
Includes Scary Godmother, The Revenge of Jimmy, The Mystery Date, The Boo Flu, the short story "Tea for Orson" and about 20 pages of concept art.
4 stars (all for the illustrations)
August 28, 2017
It's Hannah Marie's first Halloween going out trick or treating with her cousin Jimmy and his friends. She's not scared, but just in case, she's told, her Scary godmother will take care of her. When Jimmy and his friends attempt to scare Hannah Marie into quitting, the Scary Godmother shows up, and introduces her to some wonderful monsters: Mr. Pettibone, the skeleton; Bug-A-Boo, the monster under the bed; some ghosts, etc. Now Hannah Marie loves Halloween above all.
In her continuing adventures, Jimmy tries to wreck Halloween (he's a little Grinchy) and she spends a lot of time haning out on The Fright Side once she masters the trick. [Of course, the PandaBatWolf read this first and is trying to figure out which is the fright side of her bed].
Just a great graphic novel for kids, full of scary things made manageable.
In her continuing adventures, Jimmy tries to wreck Halloween (he's a little Grinchy) and she spends a lot of time haning out on The Fright Side once she masters the trick. [Of course, the PandaBatWolf read this first and is trying to figure out which is the fright side of her bed].
Just a great graphic novel for kids, full of scary things made manageable.
July 14, 2017
I find this story absolutely charming and spooky! The art style is fantastic and the characters are very likable. This book is perfect for Halloween because Scary Godmother is basically the Halloween equivalent to Santa Claus but she is much more to my liking! Hopefully she will get another movie soon because I absolutely adore her. ~Ashley
February 6, 2012
Jill Thompson's watercolor images are gorgeous! While I mostly enjoyed the art, the stories were good, too (and I especially enjoyed the title character). I would immediately buy this book for my friend's kids, if it was translated so that they could enjoy it.
November 1, 2020
I've loved the Scarey Godmother franchise my entire life so I was absolutely thrilled to find this complete collection of the books and everything cannon through my local library. This Halloween looks undoubtedly different, but reading through this made me nostalgic in the best way possible.
March 17, 2022
Fun reading flashback to when I was a lot younger. I honestly didn't even know this was a book series then a comic little series, I had only seen the two movies when I was younger and I loved it! It was so fun to see the storybook and all the adventures!
October 27, 2011
Hoping to go out with a bang this Readathon!
October 30, 2021
Critical Score: 4
Personal Score: 4
Total Score: 8
Personal Score: 4
Total Score: 8
November 4, 2023
Includes:
• Scary Godmother
• The Revenge of Jimmy
• The Mystery Date
• The Boo Flu
• Tea for Orson (not published on its own previösly)
• A charmingly-narrated sketchbook with some other page-long comics
All of the tales are beautifully illustrated in watercolor in a fully thought-out immersive world that you feel like must have adventures occurring in it all the time. Each story is family-appropriäte and, judging my kids’ (10 and 6) to read a new one every night, fully family-approved. The first one is th’only one that’s totally accessible—sometimes in the later stories, that feeling of a lived-in world is counterbalanced by a bewildered feeling that you missed some something. A prime example is that in the second book, the place the Halloween characters live is suddenly called “The Fright Side” as if we’re supposed to know what that is. In the same way, a background werewolf character from the first stories becomes a main character in the fifth like we’re supposed to be familiär with his character traits.
Format-wise, I found the first three volumes’ comics/picture-book format a little awkward. Nowadays the library shelves are filled with kids’ comics, but that was not the case in 1997, and I wonder if Thompson—a talented comics artist—or her publisher felt like she couldn’t do full-blown comics for kids. I had no doubt that if she were publishing today, the hybrid wouldn’t’ve been used, and for the betterment. Sometimes there’s even rhyming text, the rhythm of which is broken up by reading the word balloons and even just following the comics action.
That said, Thompson dœs very well with both formats separately: Boo Flu is a rhyming picture book with no comics-style story-telling, and it works well. Similarly, Tea for Orson is full-on comics-style storytelling, and is better for it (altho, like many comics, difficult to read aloud).
So, as I’ve said, I don’t think the awkwardness is Thompson’s fault, and her illustrations are beautiful. And either fully restricted into picture-book format or entirely delving into comics-format, she shows what could have been. (Note: we tried reading this on the tablet, but we had to give up. Get yourself the giänt dead-tree omnibus not only to read the tiny words in the word balloons, but also to immerse yourself in her artwork.)
• Scary Godmother
• The Revenge of Jimmy
• The Mystery Date
• The Boo Flu
• Tea for Orson (not published on its own previösly)
• A charmingly-narrated sketchbook with some other page-long comics
All of the tales are beautifully illustrated in watercolor in a fully thought-out immersive world that you feel like must have adventures occurring in it all the time. Each story is family-appropriäte and, judging my kids’ (10 and 6) to read a new one every night, fully family-approved. The first one is th’only one that’s totally accessible—sometimes in the later stories, that feeling of a lived-in world is counterbalanced by a bewildered feeling that you missed some something. A prime example is that in the second book, the place the Halloween characters live is suddenly called “The Fright Side” as if we’re supposed to know what that is. In the same way, a background werewolf character from the first stories becomes a main character in the fifth like we’re supposed to be familiär with his character traits.
Format-wise, I found the first three volumes’ comics/picture-book format a little awkward. Nowadays the library shelves are filled with kids’ comics, but that was not the case in 1997, and I wonder if Thompson—a talented comics artist—or her publisher felt like she couldn’t do full-blown comics for kids. I had no doubt that if she were publishing today, the hybrid wouldn’t’ve been used, and for the betterment. Sometimes there’s even rhyming text, the rhythm of which is broken up by reading the word balloons and even just following the comics action.
That said, Thompson dœs very well with both formats separately: Boo Flu is a rhyming picture book with no comics-style story-telling, and it works well. Similarly, Tea for Orson is full-on comics-style storytelling, and is better for it (altho, like many comics, difficult to read aloud).
So, as I’ve said, I don’t think the awkwardness is Thompson’s fault, and her illustrations are beautiful. And either fully restricted into picture-book format or entirely delving into comics-format, she shows what could have been. (Note: we tried reading this on the tablet, but we had to give up. Get yourself the giänt dead-tree omnibus not only to read the tiny words in the word balloons, but also to immerse yourself in her artwork.)
November 16, 2022
Title: Scary Godmother: Omnibus
Author: Jill Thompson
Synopsis: It's Halloween night, and it's up to Scary Godmother to show one little girl just how much fun spooky can be! Meet Hannah Marie, who, with the help of Scary Godmother, stands up to her mean-spirited cousin Jimmy and her fear of monsters on her first Halloween adventure with the big kids. Later, Hannah joins forces with Orson, the vampire boy, to unravel a mystery near and dear to their hearts. Some of Scary Godmother's closest (and most frightful) pals get in on the fun too, including Bug-A-Boo, the Boozle, and Skully Pettibone.
Review: I have been a massive fan of Scary Godmother since the movie first aired on Cartoon Network and I always look forward to watching it every year! Then lo and behold I discovered that it was based a book series! This omnibus did not disappoint! I love Scary godmother and Hannah is so lucky to be friends with her! The illustrations are to die for! They are so colorful and well thought out! I do wish that Cartoon Network made the rest of the books into movies it worked so well for the first two books! If you find this online or in a bookstore j implore you to pick it up! It was so much fun to read and perfect for the month of October!
Author: Jill Thompson
Synopsis: It's Halloween night, and it's up to Scary Godmother to show one little girl just how much fun spooky can be! Meet Hannah Marie, who, with the help of Scary Godmother, stands up to her mean-spirited cousin Jimmy and her fear of monsters on her first Halloween adventure with the big kids. Later, Hannah joins forces with Orson, the vampire boy, to unravel a mystery near and dear to their hearts. Some of Scary Godmother's closest (and most frightful) pals get in on the fun too, including Bug-A-Boo, the Boozle, and Skully Pettibone.
Review: I have been a massive fan of Scary Godmother since the movie first aired on Cartoon Network and I always look forward to watching it every year! Then lo and behold I discovered that it was based a book series! This omnibus did not disappoint! I love Scary godmother and Hannah is so lucky to be friends with her! The illustrations are to die for! They are so colorful and well thought out! I do wish that Cartoon Network made the rest of the books into movies it worked so well for the first two books! If you find this online or in a bookstore j implore you to pick it up! It was so much fun to read and perfect for the month of October!
October 5, 2024
I'm case you guys were unaware, the Cartoon Netflix Halloween movies Scary Godmother and Jimmy's Revenge were based off a comic book series called Scary Godmother by Jill Thompson. This omnibus is over 500 pages and contains the entire comic series. I'd gotten this for Spawnicus (who has watched the two movies every year since birth) because the movies have been tradition. This year I decided to read it myself.
Because I've watched the movies so much, it made the book a little confusing. The movies combined ALL the comics into the two movies so seeing everything so scattered was a bit much for me. I still enjoyed seeing the original art and the stories though.
I recommend this omnibus to fans of the movies, and fans of the season regardless of age.
I give this book 4 of 5 Paws.
Because I've watched the movies so much, it made the book a little confusing. The movies combined ALL the comics into the two movies so seeing everything so scattered was a bit much for me. I still enjoyed seeing the original art and the stories though.
I recommend this omnibus to fans of the movies, and fans of the season regardless of age.
I give this book 4 of 5 Paws.
October 11, 2024
The first half of this collection, the original Scary Godmother book series, would be 5 stars, but the follow up comics are maybe only a 3 so the whole collection gets 4. I love the original books. I’ve always liked those Cartoon Network specials, but I had no idea until now how incredible and vibrant the style of the original books were. I loved their format too, where they were almost part storybook part comic book. The actual comics though just didn’t hit for me. I don’t know if it was the switch to black and white or going into a full comic format, or maybe that they felt like they were more about the denizens of the Fright Side rather than about Hannah, for the most part, but there was a tonal shift there that I couldn’t really get past.
July 20, 2018
Molta gente ha dimenticato (o non conosce) la Strega Madrina, ma io è praticamente da anni che desideravo leggere questo piccolo classico del fumetto, che fece di Jill Thompson la vincitrice del premio Eisner come miglior pittrice nel 2001. Bellissime, infatti, le illustrazioni in acquarello con uno stile di disegno che ricorda molto quello burtoniano, solo un po' più colorato.
Sarebbe una raccolta di avventure a tema Halloween, ma io le ho lette in estate e ho comunque gradito i toni allegri e bambineschi sia delle illustrazioni che delle storie.
Consigliato a chi ama l'autrice e Halloween!
Sarebbe una raccolta di avventure a tema Halloween, ma io le ho lette in estate e ho comunque gradito i toni allegri e bambineschi sia delle illustrazioni che delle storie.
Consigliato a chi ama l'autrice e Halloween!
October 31, 2020
I remember watching the animated special on tv every Halloween when I was young, so I was pleasantly shocked to find out it was a series of books and comics! It was delightful to read all of them together and the extras in the back with original sketches and author’s notes.
There are some things in the series that have not aged well, like Harry’s mother or Mr. Pettibone. They are stereotypes that wouldn’t be cool today it these books and comics were made in the late 90s and early 00s so I take into account when reading or rewatching this series.
Overall it’s a beautifully done storybooks and comics.
There are some things in the series that have not aged well, like Harry’s mother or Mr. Pettibone. They are stereotypes that wouldn’t be cool today it these books and comics were made in the late 90s and early 00s so I take into account when reading or rewatching this series.
Overall it’s a beautifully done storybooks and comics.
December 21, 2020
Me llamó la atención hace unos años cuando lo vi en una tienda de comics del centro de la ciudad, y desde entonces me había apetecido leerlo pero me daba miedo la inversión de dinero por ser tomo de tapa dura.
Finalmente me lancé y no me arrepiento.
El volumen reúne varias historias cortas de la bruja madrina (no sé si habrá más).
Las ilustraciones son simplemente preciosas, hechas en acuarela, coloridas, dinámicas y divertidas. Los personajes son muy visuales, encantadores y atractivos, y las historias se cuentan solas.
Me da pena leérmelo de tirón voy a intentar dosificarlo porque estoy disfrutando como una niña <3
Recomendadísimo.
Finalmente me lancé y no me arrepiento.
El volumen reúne varias historias cortas de la bruja madrina (no sé si habrá más).
Las ilustraciones son simplemente preciosas, hechas en acuarela, coloridas, dinámicas y divertidas. Los personajes son muy visuales, encantadores y atractivos, y las historias se cuentan solas.
Me da pena leérmelo de tirón voy a intentar dosificarlo porque estoy disfrutando como una niña <3
Recomendadísimo.
December 29, 2021
Bought this one by accident. I honestly had no idea it also had a cartoon but I do vaguely remembering watching the cartoon after the fact. Anyway, lovely little compendium of fun scary. Truly adorable. Really. Definitely great for smaller kids going trick-or-treat for the first time. It's even good for old pro older kids who just like funny Halloween stories.
November 1, 2025
Monsters abound on Halloween!
What better way to spend Halloween than with Hannah Marie and all of her friends from our side and from the Fright Side? This collection features stories that mainly focus on Hannah, as she has fun, spooky adventures. I grew up with the two animated specials, so even though this didn’t quite strike the same note of nostalgia for me, it was still really fun to explore the world that I was first I introduced to in childhood.
What better way to spend Halloween than with Hannah Marie and all of her friends from our side and from the Fright Side? This collection features stories that mainly focus on Hannah, as she has fun, spooky adventures. I grew up with the two animated specials, so even though this didn’t quite strike the same note of nostalgia for me, it was still really fun to explore the world that I was first I introduced to in childhood.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews