Hello, friends! Our book today is Skelly’s Halloween, written by David Martin and illustrated by Lori Richmond, a festively fun romp for the spookiest time of the year.

Skelly is so excited! He’s just woken up from his year-long nap for Halloween! He has to quickly throw together a costume: nothing too scary, like his monster suit, and nothing too complicated like his flying witch’s broom. A ghost seems like a perfect solution! Quickly stitching up a spare sheet, Skelly heads out to Trick-or-Treat – but oh no! The wind catches his sheet and deposits him onto the ground with a crash! His Halloween is quickly becoming a jumbled mess – can he find a friend to put him back together again?

Adorable! Using a wonderful balance of humor and sincerity, all wrapped up in Halloween spirit, this was a fun, enjoyable read. The story moves at a brisk pace that keeps the mood and matter light, and the bright, open, and colorful illustrations ensure that Skelly is sweet, never scary – except for one short scene that is deliciously played for kid-friendly comedy. Even the details are right-on: male Skelly considers dressing as a witch, and a young girl cosplays a pirate, subtly showing that dress-up is non-gendered play. The length was perfect, JJ loved the art and story, and this one was just a delight overall. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)