A Halloween Scare in Ohio

by Eric James, Marina Le Ray (Illustrator)

Overview

This spooktacular Halloween picture book is a not-so-frightful, oh-so-delightful tale for children 4-8 who love Ohio!

It's Halloween night in Ohio, and creatures and critters from Cleveland to Cincinnati are starting to gather outside the front door. A flurry of monsters on broomsticks, buses, and bikes are all clamoring in the darkness. What is it they want? Are they coming for you? Get ready for a furry, fanged fest! A perfect Halloween gift for kids, this fun read-aloud book is packed with colorful illustrations and charming rhymes featuring iconic locations and landmarks from Ohio that kids, parents, and grandparents alike will love reading together.

• Ideal for boys and girls ages 4-8 and their caregivers
• A great Halloween gift or basket-stuffer for a unique family treat!
• Not-too-scary fun for every reader, filled with witches, ghosts, ghouls, and pumpkins galore!
• Enjoy landmarks such as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Scripps Center, Cedar Point Amusement Park, and more
• Perfect for kids who live in or have relatives in Ohio or visit the Midwest

From Toledo, Columbus, and Cedar Point park,

A mountain of monsters came out of the dark.

They gathered together for one spooky night,

To seek out the living and give them a fright.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728233833
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	08/01/2021
Series:	A Halloween Scare
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Eric James is a children’s book author, word tickler, and champion asparagus thrower. You can find him online at www.ericjames.co.uk. He lives in Bath, England, with his family.

Marina Le Ray has had success both as a children’s book illustrator as well as a greeting card designer. She lives and works in Nantes, France.

Editorial Reviews

2014-07-16
Unless readers are familiar with cities and towns in Ohio, the conceit falls flat in this arbitrary, rhyming tale of what happened one Halloween. A boy recounts his fantastical Halloween adventures in rhyming couplets that occasionally work in a name or two from the Buckeye State. "The creepies were crawly, the crazies were crazed, / The zombies from Athens had eyes that were glazed. / The ogres from Dayton were ugly as sin, / With big bulging noses and warts on their chin." Although the text scans relatively well, the illustrations do little to add to the story. The type has a jittery aspect that changes size and boldness yet does not consistently add valuable emphasis. Even when the slim plot takes a turn—the narrator is awarded the prize for "The Best Costume in Ohio"—the story lacks overall appeal. One of 25 titles meant to provide localized Halloween fun, it is only barely passable in that niche. Other locales include California, the Carolinas, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New England, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. All of Canada is encompassed in another, and there is a generic A Halloween Scare in My House for everyone else. Pass on this bland offering unless you are desperate for a Halloween book that mentions places near you. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews