Snuggly, Silly & Spooky Seasonal Suggestions
(Originally posted 10 Oct 2024)
Autumn is probably my favourite season of the year. I love the changing colours. I love the slight nip in the air signifying hats and scarves can come out of wardrobe hibernation. I love that it’s socially acceptable to decorate the house with a variety of gourds and the odd pinecone. I love visiting a pumpkin patch (Our favourite patch at the lovely Kilduff Farm hosted their last pumpkin festival ever in 2023 so this year we will be picking up our pumpkins at Cairnie Fruit Farm in Fife www.cairniefruitfarm.co.uk and Balgone Estate in East Lothian www.balgoneestate.co.uk We have also started working through the “Horrifying Halloween Sketchbook” from the magical people at www.lotsoflovelyart.org. (Anybody living near or going through Newbury later this year should check out their about to be opened shiny new creative space too!)
Despite all of the above, I do not love actual Halloween. But that’s probably a whole other blog post (and probably a bit more niche reading!) So I’ll stop rambling and instead share some of our favourite autumnal picks, whether you prefer a cosy night snuggled up under a blanket with a book (hot chocolate optional) or you want to get in the mood for All Hallows’ Eve with some (friendly) ghost stories (or a ghostly broom) these should tick all the boxes of what a great season-specific book should be (there are some out there where the seasonal setting seems to have superseded the storyline!)
Chris Van Allsburg's iconically illustrated “The Widow’s Broom” (2018). Eerily atmospheric with a plot twist.Maybe pre-read before sharing with your own pre-schoolers to judge spookiness level. I read this for the first time alongside my daughter and a few pages in thought “Um….where is this going”. Thankfully it remained in PG territory and my daughter loved it.
Cale Atkinson’s “Sir Simon: Super Scarer” (2022) Funny & heartwarming with not to be overlooked details! Atkinson shared with readers that there are more than fifty Easter egg references to classic scary movies throughout the book! My daughter couldn’t stop laughing at his little ghost bum. It is pretty funny.
“Stumpkin” (2018) by Lucy Ruth Cummins. An ugly-duckling-underdog-type-tale. You’ll definitely be picking a stemless pumpkin for your home this Halloween after reading Stumpkin. The double spreads towards the end of the book are a wee delight. (If you get the hardback version have a wee peek under the dust jacket too)
Flavia Z. Drago’s debut picture book “Gustavo the Shy Ghost” (2021) Charming, quirky & relatable. The story will give you a warm glow inside (iykyk!) while the beautiful Illustrations offer a tender celebration of all things Day of the Dead.
“The Little Ghost Who was a Quilt” (2020) by Riel Nason and Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler. Whimsical, tender and a little nostalgic-y. I don’t know how you couldn’t fall in love with this little, sad, quilted ghost. Riel Nason, when not writing, is a textile artist & quilter and this book offers readers subtle peaks into fabrics via the world of ghosts (Great granny ghost was an elegant lace curtain!) while also telling a story about embracing your own uniqueness.
Oliver Jeffers’ “There’s a Ghost in This House” (2021) Mischievous, mixed media joy. My daughter let out a little squeal of excitement and said “oh yeeessss, I love this one” when we got it out to read last night. Transparent pages overlay onto Jeffers’ beautiful illustrations and make for a unique interactive read. The house does have a genuine heebiejeebie-ness (I think anyway!), however the playful ghosts all look like they’d want to socialise with you rather than spook you. I’m biased because I adore anything by Oliver Jeffers but this is a beautiful book.
“Tumshie: The Forgotten Turnip Lantern” (2020) by Mark Mechan A delightful, nostalgic, humorous read (with bonus points for incorporating Rabbie Burns.) This was a book we picked up last year in Elie’s “Harbour House” and I really love it. A Scottish father and son story that took me back (while simultaneously making me feel ancient!) Guising, dookin’ for apples, bags and bags of monkey nuts and carving a turnip are just some of the references to Halloweens from the “olden days” that both the fictional book son and my real life daughter hadn’t heard of! Kids these days don’t know how easy they’ve got it with their soft pumpkins and special carving kits…
“Leaves” (2023) by Stephen Hogtun. Heartwarming, Heartbreaking and perfectly illustrated. Warning If you don’t want to cry in front of children you should consider reading this through a couple times on your own first. If you’re fine to cry - carry on, but don’t say you weren’t warned! A beautiful book about the power of memories, love and loss. The first time we read this book, my daughter asked me to read it two more times that same night. An emotional one.
“Autumn with Frog and Toad” (2024) by Arnold Lobel. A gentle, hug in a book classic. My daughter can read these on her own now which is probably one reason I love this series so much. Frog and Toad love each other unconditionally and while the short stories appear simple, there are quite profound themes being presented. Particularly when you think this series was written around 50 years ago, so long ago in fact that this geriatric mum here hadn’t even been born (that was a callback to last post!). Embrace the simple life. Live life more like Frog and Toad.