illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius
“A is for APPLES, that bob in a bowl.
B is for BATS, flying in through a hole.”
A spooktacular lift-the-flap alphabet book that’s also a play scene and a Halloween frieze to decorate your room!
“Super fun to read aloud. … There is so much to visually explore throughout. … a clever and delightful rhyming alphabet book, perfect for the season!”
★★★★★
YA AND KIDS BOOKS CENTRAL
“An ingeniously entertaining book, offering an extravaganza of Hallowe’en fun! … Sturdy construction, bright illustrations and lively text make this a winning treat which children (and adults!) can enjoy again and again!”
THROUGH THE BOOKSHELF
Download the Spooky/Halloween Street CAN YOU FIND? &
COLOURING activity sheets
Spooky Street (published as Halloween Street in the US) is the third in the series of Alphabet Street books that I’ve created with Ingela P Arrhenius and Nosy Crow. After the second book, Christmas Street, proved popular, continuing the series with a Halloween-themed book seemed like a natural next step.
I knew that there would be a US edition of the book and was aware that modern Halloween traditions in the US differ slightly from those in the UK, with some US trick or treaters and partygoers dressing up as non-spooky characters such as pirates and princesses. Some of the characters in Ingela’s illustrations can be seen dressed in costumes like these, but I wanted the book’s rhyming alphabet, and the under-the-flap illustrations that accompany it, to be drawn from the more traditional, spooky, witches, ghosts and monsters side of Halloween. Achieving this while keeping the book’s content suitable for pre-schoolers proved tricky in some instances and Ingela drew several versions of the “Z is for ZOMBIE,” image before arriving at finished illustration that struck the right balance.
One of the features of the original Alphabet Street book that I’m particularly proud of is the alphabetical names of the ground floor shops (Alfie’s Bakery, Coffee & Doughnuts, etc.) that match the letters under the flaps on each page. I’d tried to do the same thing for Christmas Street but was unable to come up with a complete list of Christmas-themed alphabetised shop names. However, I was pleased to discover that I was able to come up with a list of Halloween-themed alphabetical shop names for this book, starting with Amazing Broomsticks, Costumes & Disguises, Enchantments and Fortunes and so on.
Ingela has worked her magic on the illustrations once again, creating a vibrant streetscape in a zingy Halloween palette of oranges, purples and pinks. And, as with the other books in the series, the reverse side of the book opens out to present a detailed panorama. In this book the panorama is set at night and includes young animals trick or treating, a haunted mansion, a Halloween fair and a pumpkin farm.
Both Ingela and I have said that this is our favourite of the four books we have done together so far. I hope it proves to be equally popular with young readers.
“This is a delightful and thoughtful alphabet book. … The Halloween theme is very well done throughout the whole book with loads of Halloween-themed colors, images, and creatures. The rhyming makes it super fun to read aloud. … I love the little details like the store names that incorporate the letters shown behind the flaps. The illustrations are full of details and delightful animal characters (and Halloween-themed ones like witches, vampires, and more) in Arrhenius’s typical style that works so well! There is so much to visually explore throughout. … a clever and delightful rhyming alphabet book, perfect for the season! Highly recommend for toddlers and preschoolers!”
★★★★★
Olivia Farr, YA AND KIDS BOOKS CENTRAL
“An ingeniously entertaining book, offering an extravaganza of Hallowe’en fun! … There is so much to notice, enjoy and discuss in the illustrations and they encourage interactive play as either side could provide the ‘scenery’ for toys or puppets. … Sturdy construction, bright illustrations and lively text make this a winning treat which children (and adults!) can enjoy again and again!”
THROUGH THE BOOKSHELF
Dispatch & Delivery
Books will be sent by Evri and should take 2–4 working days to arrive after dispatch. I’m generally able to dispatch orders within two working days of receiving them, but if I’m away from home, books will not be signed and dispatched until my return. If you place an order while I’m away for more than a week, you should receive an email telling you when the order will be dispatched and giving you the option to cancel and receive a full refund.