The Halloween House

Using the traditional English counting rhyme, Over in the Meadow, as an inspiration, author Erica Silverman spins a spooky tale about the Halloween House on Halloween night in this entertaining picture-book. As two escaped convicts, who appear only in illustrator Jon Agee's artwork, make their way through the house, various monster parents instruct their children on the proper course of action. As the horrified convicts watch in terror, ten werewolves howl, nine vampires rise, eight worms squirm, seven bats swoop, six ghosts book, five monsters chase, four skeletons dance, three spiders swing, two cats pounce, and one little witch flies. Is it any wonder that the convicts flee the house, returning to their cell...?

The Halloween House is show more an absolute delight! Silverman, who also penned the popular Halloween story to be found in Big Pumpkin, delivers a rollicking, cleverly monstrous take on the old rhyme. Her words fairly trip off the tongue: "In the Halloween house, / on a bed made of pine, / a mama vampire woke / with her little ones, nine. / "Rise," said the mama. / "We rise," said the nine. / So they rose through the night / from the bed made of pine." The artwork by Agee, known for the many droll picture-books of his own that he has produced, adds another layer of story not found in the text, as the convicts make their way through the house. The (visual) conclusion to the tale, which sees the two back in their cell, one holding a sign saying "Home Sweet Home," the other reading a pamphlet featuring an add for cell decor, will end the story on a chuckle. Highly recommended to anyone looking for humorous rhyming counting books with a Halloween flavor. show less

This fun picture book is a spin on Over in the Meadow, making for a great holiday book! One detail that could easily go unnoticed is the inclusion of the robbers in the illustrations, though they're aren't found anywhere in the text. This element makes The Halloween House a wonderful mentor text for teaching the somewhat collaborative process of publishing a children's book, and how sometimes an illustrator may find meaning in a text that even the author did not.

The Halloween House is a creepy counting book. The great thing about this story is that while the text tells one story, the reader is able to experience a totally different story through the artist's illustrations. The illustrator changed the book from being a counting story of the creatures in a haunted hose to the story of two escaped convicts trying to hide out in a haunted house.

A couple of escaped convicts are living a true nightmare as they get what they deserve in the Halloween House. They encounter creepers, crawlers, and ghouls (along with their babies) as they venture through the house. Their number's decreasing each time as they progress. Eventually, they decide that the big house is worth returning to after their venture with the Halloween House. It is interesting that Silverman decides to count backwards from ten to one, rather than the usual one to ten. Also, the illustrator creates a story with the escaped prisoners that is not mentioned in the text, giving the story a dimensional plot. I feel that this would be a great story for students around halloween time!

This title, while colorful and perfect for a read aloud, manages to cleverly tell two parallel stories within the confines of the pages. The rhyming style of the text reveals the creepy sights one would expect in a haunted mansion, but the illustrations show a daring prison break, which culminates in the spookiest of settings. This book was used in a 3rd grade read aloud session recently, and the students instantly noticed the parallel tales and how they supported each other.

This book has rhymes which involve counting and can be used somewhat on an educational level for very young children. The story illustrated makes a great connection, although it is completely different from the book. A story within a story! The pictures are engaging and creates a silly environment that takes any hint of fear away from the younger reader. It was pretty easy to figure out the ending for an adult, but most children will be enchanted when the escaped prisoners return to their cell.

I really liked this book. I liked the fact that you can read it and hear one thing then look at the pictures and see something completely different. This would be a super fun book to read around Halloween and have your students come up with their own ideas on what is going on. It is also a really good book to work on predictions. I would love to use this book in my future classroom.