Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Animals lure Farmer Brown to holiday fun in spooky sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Farmer Brown hates Halloween because it scares him: \"Witches give him nightmares. Pirates give him shivers. Jack-o'-lanterns flicker spooky shadows on the wall.\" So while the barnyard animals are busy preparing for their Halloween costume party, he puts out a bowl of candy for the trick-or-treaters and goes to bed to hide under the covers. But then he starts to hear some creaky, creepy, spooky sounds and finally a \"tap, tap, tapping\" at his door. He gets up and finds an invitation to the party nailed to his door and finally sneaks over to the barn to see what's up.
Is It Any Good?
CLICK, CLACK, BOO! is a gentle, Halloween-themed story with some of the same appealing characters from Click, Clack, Moo. But here the animals are not in revolt against Farmer Brown. They just want to have a party and include him in the fun!
The simple story is enhanced by the repetition of creepy sounds that seem at first to be scary but ultimately prove to be harmless, such as the "tap, tap, tapping" on a door and window, the "creak, creak, creaking" on the old boards of the front porch, and the "crunch, crunch, crunching" of footsteps on autumn leaves. The friendly, happy ending should send young bedtime readers to sleep with a smile.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Halloween. Do you find it scary or fun -- or both? What's your favorite part of the holiday?
What kind of Halloween stories and movies do you like: funny or creepy? What are some of your favorites? Try making up your own Halloween story, and draw a picture of it.
What are some of the sounds you think of when you think of Halloween?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : Betsy Lewin
- Genre : Holiday
- Topics : Book Characters , Animals , Holidays , Fantasy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Atheneum
- Publication date : August 13, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 7
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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