Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
On Halloween, when Little Monster lifts the lid of a cookie tin, seven holiday-themed cookies spring to life and escape out the front door. "Down through the garden,/ out into the street," the googly-eyed, frosted confections (a pumpkin, bat, mummy, ghost, skeleton, vampire, and black cat) shout " 'Boo!'... to everything they meet," scaring off much larger, costumed trick-or-treaters. When Little Monster gives chase, the cookies take refuge in a jack-o'-lantern before heading back through the neighborhood and into their tin. Paul concocts chirpy verse with some catchy wordplay (" 'Boo!' says Little Monster,/ tricking all the treats./ 'Yummy scrummy cookies!/ Now you're mine to eat!' "), and her wildly expressive, sharply focused cookie characters are scene stealers, animating this brief, sprightly holiday caper. Ages 4--8. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Seven Halloween sugar cookies snooze in their cookie tin, waiting for moonlight to give them life. Little Monster opens the tin looking for a sweet treat, which allows moonlight to touch the cookies. The cookies jump up and shout, "Boo!" scaring Little Monster away. The cookies escape past the dog and into the night, yelling "Boo!" and terrifying the neighborhood. Little Monster finally ambushes them, capturing one of the cookies. Is this the end for Baby Bat cookie? The other cookies rescue their friend with a well-timed "Boo!" and Little Monster flees. The cookies hightail it back to the safety of their cookie tin. Readers can hope that Little Monster, shown in the background with a pile of candy, will have enough other treats to satisfy its sweet tooth. The charming illustrations manage to be both adorable and spooky, and with the bouncing rhymes and many opportunities to shout "Boo!" few will question the logic of this sugary romp. VERDICT A fun read-aloud with eye-catching illustrations. Buy where more Halloween books are needed.--Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Lib., MN
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Ghosts and monsters are known to scare folks at Halloween, but…cookies? After being touched by a stream of magical moonlight, seven very mischievous, colorful, decorated-for-Halloween biscuits escape their tin and make their way out into the street, having already frightened Little Monster and Doggy. They shout "BOO!" at everything they meet. Lamppost? Check. Car? Check. Fireflies in a jar? Yep, them, too. And so it goes, the cookies BOO-ing at all the creatures they encounter, including a witch's black cat. After a too-close brush with a hungry predator, the cookies manage to effect a quick escape--no crumbling here--and all ends boo-tifully in their favor. This adorable story is conveyed in lilting, rollicking rhymes that zing along with minimal text per page. Its original take on a Halloween theme and its cute "Gingerbread Man" vibe will entertain and delight young readers. The scenes on the final pages will keep kids guessing about what might happen next for Little Monster and the cookies. The delicious (in more ways than one) illustrations are charming, comical, and inventive, the cookies' decorations providing clever inspiration for holiday-themed baking. Strong, crisp lines and colors encourage readers' focus on characters and actions. Shiny colored foil on the book's cover enhances visual excitement. Very flavorful; young readers will savor every crumb. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
