Five Spooky Picture Books for You and Your Little Terror: Part Two
Welcome to Part Two of Spooky Picture Books for You and Your Little Terror (read part one), where I will recommend to you (and your child, if you have one in your haunted home) five more of my personal favorite picture books from my spooky childhood. Halloween may be over, but it’s never really over for horror fans like us. These are books that, as you will see, gave me tons of thrills and chills when I was young, and I’m sure they’ll do the same for you and your little creature.
6. A Ghost Named Fred by Nathanial Benchley, Ben Shecter
A Ghost Named Fred written by Nathaniel Benchley and illustrated by Ben Shecter is a book that my dad owned when he was a kid and was part of the Weekly Reader series. It follows a lonely little boy with only his Imagination as his companion until he meets a ghost named Fred upon finding an old dark house after getting lost in the rain while out pretending to be an “astronaut in orbit”. What follows is an adventure prefect for children four and up (unlike the rest of the books in this post which are for six and up) that will leave your kid wanting to open every umbrella you own (you’ll see what I mean if you read the book). So suit up in your slicker, brave the elements and find this spooky treasure for you and your kid!
7. In a Dark, Dark Room by Alvin Schwartz, Dirk Zimmer
This collection of frightening folk tales as retold by Alvin Schwartz ( of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark fame) and iconically illustrated by Dirk Zimmer, was part of the I Can Read series and still honestly gives me goose flesh even now that I’m 20. The stories are ghoulish (in keeping with Scary Stories) especially for the age range they are meant for, and I’m sure gave (and still give) nightmares to some youngsters. With that said, if you have a brave kid who you fancy won’t wake you up in the middle of the night wanting to sleep in your bed because he had a nightmare, than this book is a must read. So be brave. Venture into the dark, dark and get this book for you and your child before…. it gets you.
8. The Ghost of Goose Island by Mercer Mayer
When I was a kid Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter books which followed the adventures of Little Critter and his sister were some of my favorite books to be read starting from as early as two. However, it wasn’t until a little later in my life that my mom discovered and bought this book The Ghost of Goose Island written and illustr