Petal and Poppy and the Spooky Halloween!

by Lisa Clough, Ed Briant (Illustrator)

Overview

Halloween is here and Petal and Poppy are going to a party! But Petal's scared. Halloween is too spooky. But Poppy assures Petal it's all just pretend. There's nothing to be afraid of. But then a haunted house scares Poppy. Maybe Halloween is a little spooky after all!

 

The writing level and picture clues will help early readers perfect their reading technique, while the wonderful story—with just the right amount of spookiness—will spark a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544336032
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/26/2014
Series:	Green Light Readers Level 2
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Lisa Jahn-Clough has written and illustrated many picture books for young children, including Alicia Has a Bad Day, My Friend and I, Missing Molly, and Simon and Molly Plus Hester. She is the author of the Green Light reader series Petal and Poppy and has published several young adult novels and a recent chapter book. She is associate professor of creative writing at Rowan University and also works as a mentor in the Hamline University Low-Residency MFA program in writing for children and young adults. You can find out more at lisajahnclough.com.

Ed Briant has published for Flux Llewelyn, Roaring Book, Greenwillow Press, and Atheneum. His first book, Paper Parade, was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. He is also the author and illustrator of the weekly comic Tales from the Slushpile, published online with Publishers Weekly's Children's Bookshelf since 2005. He has taught illustration at Delaware College of Art and Design in Wilmington, Delaware.

 

Editorial Reviews

07/28/2014
Friends Petal the elephant and Poppy the rhino return in their third leveled reader, which begins with Poppy donning a monster costume to “spook” Petal. “It’s only a costume,” Poppy tells self-proclaimed “scaredy-cat” Petal, who responds with a “GAA!” After heading out on a tandem bicycle to a costume party, the two get a flat tire, resulting in an unplanned stop at a “spooky house,” where the tables turn and Poppy gets a scare. Meanwhile, Petal is shrugging off her scaredy tendencies by making friends with a real—and helpful—ghost. Sequential panels and a good amount of physical comedy move the story forward, and Briant’s subdued palette befits the unfolding nighttime shenanigans. For her part, Clough is able to inject the story with light doses of humor and suspense, even within the vocabulary limitations typical of the format. Ages 6–8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Simple text combines with short, but not stilted, sentences, and colorful, humorous illustrations with just enough dark to retain the Halloween feel." — Booklist Online   "Angular, digital animal cartoon characters keep the tone upbeat, while large panels emphasize each detailed scene with cheerful colors. A howling good addition that celebrates a favorite holiday" — School Library Journal "Clough is able to inject the story with light doses of humor and suspense, even within the vocabulary limitations typical of the format." — Publishers Weekly —

From the Publisher

08/01/2014
K-Gr 3—This beginning reader highlights the fun and fright of Halloween. Poppy, initially disguised as a devil, scares Petal until Petal realizes that she can make sparkling fairy wings as a fun alternative to the frightening costumes readily available. When they set out for the party, a flat tire on their bicycle leaves them abandoned outside of an eerie house, and Petal fixes it with the help of a little ghost. Poppy's earlier statement offers a dose of encouragement to Petal as the pair address their spooky surroundings: "Don't be a scaredy-cat. It is only a costume." When a gang of unusual creatures greets Poppy and Petal at the Halloween party, the friends realize their fear is all in good fun. Angular, digital animal cartoon characters keep the tone upbeat, while large panels emphasize each detailed scene with cheerful colors. A howling good addition that celebrates a favorite holiday.—Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

School Library Journal