Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Not-too-scary counting book with a friendly twist.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In a seasonal variation on the classic \"and then there were none\" counting ditty, a group of TEN CREEPY MONSTERS -- including a vampire, werewolf, witch, ghost, zombie, mummy, and a lagoon creature -- goes off on a nighttime adventure and, one by one, they drop off. The twist is the last one turns out to be a human boy, who comes home, takes off his monster mask, tucks himself into bed, clutching his stuffed toy monster, with a bag of Halloween candy spilled on the floor.
Is It Any Good?
The rhymes are clever and the intrigue mounts with verses like this one about the werewolf: "Eight creepy monsters gazed up at heaven,/ One stopped to howl, and then there were seven." Even though the story line is simple, there's a lot of action and comedy on the page, with distinctive characters doing a combination of mundane and scary stuff. And Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis' illustrations are exceptional, with many fun details that grown-ups will pick up on, like the vampire carrying a Bates Motel towel to the beach for a swim, an allusion to the classic film Psycho.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's fun to dress up like monsters. What's the scariest Halloween costume you've worn or seen?
Who's your favorite Halloween character? Why?
What's your favorite scary book or movie? What's fun about being scared?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis
- Genre : Holiday
- Topics : Holidays , Fantasy , Numbers and Letters , Animals ( Ocean Creatures )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Abrams Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : October 1, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 7
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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