The premise and great illustrations caught my eye...but once my kids and I looked through the book more carefully, we agreed that only some of the songs were really funny/clever enough. Not quite enough worthwhile song versions to be worth buying the book -- maybe borrow it from the library. If you like the illustrations, take a look at Gris Grimly's version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which is has the same charmingly eerie look plus good content.
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Sipping Spiders Through a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 4, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Gross-out, creepy laughs meant for older kids.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 9 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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What Parents Need to Know
About Sipping Spiders Through a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters
Parents need to know that this isn't a book for everyone, but it's just the thing for families who love Tim Burton movies, Edward Gorey books, and TV shows like Dead Like Me. Monsters sing about gross and macabre things and the detailed images -- of rotting, creepy things with bulging eyes -- will probably be disturbing for the usual picture book crowd. The publisher even recommends this book for ages 9-12, not the usual ages of 4-6.
Read our full review by Dawn Friedman
Families Can Talk About
- Families who like gross-out and creepy humor can sing these songs in place of the originals and maybe try a hand at writing their own. Which monsters in the book look the scariest? Families can also talk about different kinds of humor. Are scary things sometimes funny or not? Are monsters that sing funny songs less scary or not?
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Thrilling illustrations; songs mostly so-so
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