Creepy Carrots, by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown - Halloween fun for kids ages 4-8

Kids are full-swing in the Halloween mood. The weather is cooling off, fall is here and kids talk nonstop about their costumes. I love building on this excitement by sharing scary books. But little kids need books that are scary without being too frightening. For some Halloween fun, try out Creepy Carrots. Kids will laugh at the jokes, love the shivers, but know that it's all just pretend the whole time.

Creepy Carrots
by Aaron Reynolds
illustrated by Peter Brown
NY: Simon & Schuster
ages 4–8
available on Amazon and at your local library

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots. He eats them going to school, going to baseball practice and then on the way home again. Jasper pulls carrots up from the ground anywhere he can find them — especially in Crackenhopper Field. But soon, Jasper starts seeing maniacal, monster carrots stalking him at every turn.

“Monster carrots?” you say. Yes, indeed — creepy, monster carrots. Reynolds and Brown work together brilliantly, building suspense, eliciting laughter, creating a Twilight Zone–feel for this creepy tale of vegetable revenge. Is Jasper being stalked by snarling, angry carrots or is it his overactive imagination?

Young kids will delight in the spooky elements of this story, laughing at Jasper’s fear while completely understanding just how it happens. After all, kids know all about having to check the closet for monsters that might just be waiting to pounce. The ending brings the story right back to its humorous side, providing a satisfying lesson on greed through laughter instead of preaching. This is a great new book perfect for kids who like to shiver and laugh at the same time.

I loved this book trailer! It's also fascinating the way Peter Brown talks about his inspiration for the illustrations. It would be very interesting to show this to older students, and ask them about the illustrator's perspective.


The Creepy Carrots Zone from Peter Brown on Vimeo.

For other great Halloween reads, check out my monthly Bookshelf article at Parents Press: Monster Madness. I enjoyed reading other reviews on Five Minutes for Books and Fuse #8, as well as Julie Danielson's post on the Kirkus Blog.

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©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books