Don’t Ever Look Behind Door 32 (B.C.R. Fegan)

Title:  Don’t Ever Look Behind Door 32

Author: B.C.R. Fegan

Illustrator:  Lenny Wen

Target Ages: 4-8

Genre:  Concept Picture Book

Amazon Summary: 

The magical Hotel of Hoo is a mysterious place with some very unusual occupants. As our guests explore the strange hotel, they are invited to experience everything it has to offer with just one warning… don’t ever look behind door 32.

First Lines:

Welcome to the magical

Hotel of Hoo.

Where I’ll be your host,

Mr. Nicholas Noo.

Evaluation:

Along with the protagonists, readers take a fantastic tour of the hotel. The rooms have different types of guest from the mythical (zombies, goblins, mermaids) to the realistic (knights, clowns, monkeys) to the silly (tea-loving monsters, miniature giants, grey-haired villains). Some rooms are places for guests (golden bathroom, museum, library, dinning hall) while others are unconventional places (a maze, a dark room, a treasure room). Characters and rooms are scary in a silly, child-like way. 

The narrative encourages children to practice counting to 32 as they take a tour of the hotel.  During the tour, they are often reminded not to look behind door 32.  As they get closer and closer, anticipation is built.  With so many “scary” characters, what might be in room 32? (Fortunately, it is a humorous twist.)

It seems like 32 rooms would be tedious to count down to.  However, in this magical place and with the entertaining rhyming verse, time flies by.

Don’t Look Behind Door 32 works well for classroom reading and learning as well as bedtime story or as a Halloween tale.

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

• Predicting Skills:  In the first read, ask children to predict what is in Room 32.  In later readings, ask children to anticipate what is coming next.
• Math:  Practice counting to 32. 
• Story Extension:  Either draw or write about what is in room 33. Or write/discuss alternate endings to what could be in room 32.  
• Writing Numbers:  Younger children can practice writing out the numbers in shaving cream or other substance.  Older children can write them out on paper.  
• Writing:  With such a colorful cast of characters, children can write about their favorite one.  Younger children can fill in a simple sentence like:  “My favorite character is ______ because ________.”
• Figurative Language:  Introduce the terms oxymoron and irony.  Discuss the examples in the story, like miniature giants (oxymoron) and wingless dragons and grumpy clowns (irony). 
• Literature:  Read about some of the mythical characters like mermaids, fairies, and goblins.
• Art: Create a diorama room to add to the hotel.  Or provide a hotel template like HERE or HERE.  Students can draw their own creative rooms.

5 Fabulous Read-Aloud Picture Books

There Might Be Lobsters

Carolyn Crimi, author

Laurel Molk, illustrator

Publisher Summary:  

Sukie is afraid of everything.  But with her faithful girl, Eleanor, and her beloved stuffed monkey by her side, maybe—just maybe—she can overcome her fears.

Why It’s Fabulous:

Eleanor helps her dog Sukie overcome her fears—both rational and irrational.  Sukie realizes she is much braver than she realizes.

Escargot

Dashka Slater, author

Syndney Hanson, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Bonjour!

I am Escargot.

I want only two things:

1.      To be your favorite animal.
2.      To get to the delicious salad at the end of the this book.

Are you ready?

On your mark…Get set…Go!

Why It’s Fabulous:

Witty and interactive, readers will fall in love with Escargot the snail.  The soft watercolor paintings and French phrases add to the charm. Escargot lays out several arguments why snails should be the reader’s favorite animal, using the audience’s anticipated objections. Teachers can use this story as a mentor text for teaching argument.   Finally, the story illustrates the importance of self-acceptance.

The Rabbit Listened

Cori Doerrfeld, author and illustrator

Publisher Summary:

When something sad happens to Taylor, all the animals think they know how to help.  One by one they come, but nothing they say makes Taylor feel better. Until the rabbit arrives…and the rabbit knows just what to do. 

Why It’s Fabulous:

The sweet illustrations and poignant storytelling reveal what people often need when they are feeling sad.  A wonderful story to teach children about their and others’ feelings. 

How to Find an Elephant

Kate Banks, author

Boris Kulikov, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

What to do on a dull gray day? Head into the wilds and look for elephant.  You will need a pair of binoculars, a blanket, a flute, some food, a little imagination, and a lot of curiosity.

Why It’s Fabulous:

A typical backyard becomes an imaginary romp through the jungle.  At every turn, readers catch a glimpse of a camouflaged elephant in the lush mixed-media illustrations. 

The Scariest Book Ever

Bob Shea, author and illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Boo!  This is the scariest book EVER, narrated by a ghost who lives near a scary dark forest. The woods are probably crawling with hungry monsters with smelly breath, sharp fangs, and pointy claws.  If you want to check them out, go ahead and turn the page.  Just don’t expect the ghost to join you.

Why It’s Fabulous:
Retro graphics, colorful pictures, and clever text make this book a humorous ghoul time.  The ghost narrator interacts with the readers, inviting them onto a scary journey that is everything but frightening.  Ironic twists and an unexpected ending make this book a read-aloud favorite for Halloween or anytime.

Best Halloween Picture Books (Primary to Intermediate)

I believe I am burned out on Halloween books!  I have been reading dozens of them over the past couple weeks in an effort to highlight the best books from the largest number possible.  This post is the last on the subject, at least for 11 months!  Since there can be large discrepancies in what is considered appropriate based on age and family values, please peruse them in advance to reading to children. 

The Hallo-Wiener (ages 5-10) by Dav PilkeyI love this book!  Oscar is a wiener dog (dachshund), so he has a hard time keeping up with the other dogs.  As a result, he is incessantly teased by the other dogs.   Then, to make matters worse his mother makes a costume for him that fuels the ridicule fire.  He wears it though because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings.  Despite having a discouraging Halloween night experience, he saves his friends through bravery and cleverness.  There are puns and other play on words in this story that would be fun to discuss.  For instance, it says he is looking “frank.”   Discuss how it is a reference to a hot dog and to looking serious.  In another example, it states the dogs “hounded every treat.”  They are dogs, so they are “hounding.”  It also means to badger or bother.  Not only is it a good Halloween story, but it also includes lessons in friendship, teasing, being scared, courage, cleverness, and family. 

  The Skeleton in the Closet (ages  7-11) by Alice SchertleAt first, the tone of this story is a bit frightening though fortunately the illustrations are not creepy.  There is a skeleton at the door, trying to get into the house.  After the boy runs and hides in his room, the skeleton gets into the house and slowly makes his way up the stairs.  When he gets into the room though, he merely wants to borrow the clothes in the boy’s closet.  Then, the tone becomes silly.   This story is a good read for older kids who are not easily alarmed.

  Shake dem Halloween Bones (ages 5-10) by W. Nikola-LisaAfter the city is quiet and the lights go down, music begins at a hip-hop Halloween party.  Using a rhythmic, playful verse, people dance at the party dressed up as various characters from popular fairy tales, such as Snow White, Goldilocks, and Little Red Riding Hood.  Interspersed repeatedly between the descriptions of the boogying characters is a chorus about shaking them bones.

    The Halloween Kid (ages 5-10) by Rhode Montijo
The Halloween Kid keeps trick or treating safe for the children.  Each time villians come along to spoil it, such as toliet paper mummies or pumpkin suckin' vampires, he saves the day dressed part cowboy, part regular kid while riding on his stick horse.  When a group of goblins wreak havoc, he returns once again.  This time it is with the help of some tricker or treaters that he saves Halloween.  The orange-hued cartoon pictures are mature enough that older children will enjoy it, but not at all scary so younger ones can too.  This interesting mix of reality and fantasy is sure to induce yearly readings of this holiday tale.

Room on the Broom (ages 5-10) by Julia DonaldsonIf you do not object to books about witches, this tales is a sweet must read!  As an affable witch flies around on her broom, various animals ask for a ride.  She willingly allows them on, but the broom gets crowded and eventually breaks.  Then, a dragon attacks the witch, but the animals rescue her from his clutches!  The witch designs a creative, new broom that accommodates everyone more comfortably.   The pictures are colorful and cheery.  Motifs for discussion are friendship, generosity, and bravery.
  Honorable MentionsPorkenstein(ages 6-10) by Kathryn LaskyIt is a creative retelling of the story Frankenstein using pigs and the big bad wolf.  It is worth checking out.

The Costume Copy Cat (ages 5-9) by Maryann MacdonaldEach year Angela picks her costume based on what her sister wore the previous year with less than desirable results.  When she finally picks a costume based on her unique personality, she has the ideal Halloween night. 





Did I miss any of your favorites?  Let me know!  I’ll check them out for next Halloween season! 

Best Fall Picture Books: Pumpkins (Fiction)

I can’t imagine buying a pumpkin at a grocery store!  I have always used pumpkin picking as a memory making tradition.  Every year we go to a farm to pick ours.  At some of the farms, we actually pick them off the vines while at others we pick them from a field.  There are usually lots of other activities at the farms, such as corn mazes, tire swings, petting zoos, and so forth.  Not everyone is fortunate enough to live in the vicinity of farms for picking pumpkins.  I encourage you venture out to one at least once to a farm to pick a pumpkin while your children are young or with your class of students.  The book selections today all capture the joys and memories of pumpkin picking, and in some cases, even growing pumpkins. 

Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night (ages 3-7) by Anne Rockwell (realistic fiction)

In this fictional narrative, an eager, young boy observes the various changes in nature that indicate it is fall which signifies that soon it will be “pumpkin time.”  Along with his mother, they take their traditional trip to a farm to pick pumpkins for carving and for cooking.  Together, mother and son experience an uplifting memory carving the perfect jack-o-lantern and watching it glow in the night.  The bright backgrounds with appealing paper cut outs give the illustrations a 2-dimensional appearance to this story about fall, family, and tradition. 

The Very Best Pumpkin (ages 4-8) by Mark Kimball Moulton (realistic fiction)

Watercolor illustrations in warm hues offer a country setting for the story of Peter who lives with his grandparents on a farm.  One of their fall crops is pumpkins.  One day Peter discovers a pumpkin vine that has trailed off from the others and is growing alone.  Meanwhile, a new family with a girl his age moves in next door.   She shyly watches him from afar as he tends his special lone pumpkin.  After the community has all come to pick their pumpkins from the farm, the girl and her family arrive to chose theirs.  Peter gives her his special pumpkin.  He knew all along she had been watching him.  This first act of kindness begins a sweet friendship between them. 

Pumpkin Jack (ages 5-9) by Will Hubbell  (realistic fiction)

After Tim’s beloved and enchanting jack-o-lantern begins to expire, he discards it in the backyard garden.  Over time, he watches as the face wrinkles and the pumpkin shrinks into the ground.  In the spring, a tiny sprout peers up from the soil which multiples and grows as Tim cares for the new pumpkin plants.  When the pumpkins are ripe, he generously gives them away to other children.  He saves one though.  It becomes his new Pumpkin Jack.  Anyone who has reluctantly thrown away his jack-o-lantern after the holiday will appreciate this story. 

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin (ages 4-8) by Joe Troiano (fantasy fiction)

Spookley is a square pumpkin in a patch of round pumpkins.  He is teased and ridiculed for his unique shape.  When there is a storm, several pumpkin break loose from the vine and roll out of the garden through a hole in the fence, resulting in their destruction.  Spookley moves to block the hole, which prevents any other pumpkins from being destroyed.  The farmer discovers what happened, so the following year he only plants Spookley's seeds.  As a result, pumpkins of all shapes and sizes are produced, bringing joy to the boys and girls of the community as they all pick out a unique one just for them.  This book celebrates individual differences.  The poetic language is full of rhyme and alliteration.   The Legend of Spookley is sure to be a favorite holiday read! 

Honorable Mentions

Pumpkin Day (ages 4-8) by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (realistic fiction)

This book is a sweet narrative of a family of bunnies visiting a pumpkin patch, making pumpkin pancakes, and carving jack-o-lanterns.  Riddles and fast facts on pumpkins are interspersed.  It includes the family’s recipes for toasted pumpkin seeds, perfect pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin pancakes. 

Pumpkin Moon (ages 6-10) by Tim Preston (fantasy fiction)

Following the a similar format as David Weisner’s Tuesday, this predominately wordless book tells the magical tale of what happens on October 31 after all the trick-or-treaters are in bed.  I have mixed feelings about this one.  It has some noteworthy illustrations, but there are real witches, skeletons, and other ghouls.  It is an interesting premise.  On the other hand, the “story” did not seem to have a real point.   Check it out to see for yourself.  Then, let me know what you think!

Extension Activities

• For Pumpkin Fun ideas, visit the Learning Ideas blog
• Visit a pumpkin patch or farm with pumpkins
• Allow students to tell about their experience at a pumpkin patch by drawing a picture or writing about it
• Carve pumpkins together
• Students can write their own fictional story about pumpkins (either realistic or fantasy)
• Read about the pumpkin life cycle
• Compare a fictional story of growing pumpkins to a non-fiction book on the topic
• Pumpkin crafts
• Pumpkin Lessons
• Sing pumpkin/fall songs
• File Folder Game
• Science Connections
• Recipes (Halloween, Pumpkin, and Apples)
• Color Pumpkin Pictures

Best Halloween Picture Books for Preschool to Primary Grades

These books can be enjoyed by all ages, but they were chosen as ones that would be especially pleasing to preschool aged children (ages 0-6).

Mouse’s First Halloween (ages 1-6) by Lauren Thompson (fiction)
I adore this book’s free verse poetic form and captivating illustrations!  On Halloween night, a little mouse hears an assortment of sounds outside around the farm where he lives.  On the next page, the source of the sound is revealed, which are things like a scarecrow, kittens, falling apples, a jack-o-lantern, and so forth.  This book is perfect for practicing predicting skills.  After each sound (onomatopoeia), children can guess, using the visual and auditory clues, what they think it is.  Of course, there is a great use of onomatopoeia (sound words), so identify them together and differentiate them from the other words.  Also, there are repetitive words and phrases at predictable places that children can recite along with or in place of the adult reader.  All the images are welcoming and amiable.  Children will want to read this one over and over.  This book is my number one pick! 

Sweets and Treats (ages 0-5) by Tony Trent Parker (poetry)
Using a snappy, rhyming verse, the joy of dressing up on Halloween is depicted.  Full-color photographs of children ages 1-5 accompany each quatrain of poetry describing the costume or the holiday.  Children are dressed in many holiday favorites like a pirate, a princess, a firefighter, and a clown.  In addition, smaller pictures of other Halloween favorites, such as cookies, candy corn, and jack-o-lanterns are highlighted.  While reading, younger children can guess the costume while older children can identify rhyming words or talk about their favorite costumes.

Moonlight: The Halloween Cat (ages 1-7) by Cynthia Rylant (fiction)
The enchantment of Halloween night is captured though the eyes of a lovable Halloween cat.  As she wanders through the night, she sees animals (owls, rabbits, bats, and raccoons), children trick or treating, the wonders of nature (full moon and stars reflecting in the water), and jack-o-lanterns.  Relate the cat’s experience walking around at night to the audience’s (children’s) experience.  They can share which of those night wonders they have observed (and maybe some others that are not mentioned in the book) on Halloween or any other night they have been outside.  The luminous illustrations induce a soothing and friendly view of the night and the holiday.  Also, introduce or reinforce the concept of personification (the cat, the pumpkins that smile at her, and the straw laps that welcome her).  Finally, highlight that the point of view is of a cat.  Invite them to ponder why the author used a cat to tell the story. 

Halloween Night (ages 2-7) by Elizabeth Hatch (fiction)
This book is cumulative tale, following the same format as The House that Jack Built, which takes place on Halloween night. The collective chain of events begin with a friendly jack-o-lantern and mouse, but a bat, an owl, a cat, a child dressed as a ghost, and a dog all interact to bring the tale back to the mouse and jack-o-lantern enjoying a treat together. The whimsical and bright illustrations along with the rhyming and amusing text are sure to capture preschool readers’ attention.  This story can also be used to make predictions, especially in the downward action of the climax (when the child trips) and discuss the concept of cause & effect.  If you like this type of book, also check out This is the Pumpkin by Abby Levine. 

Pumpkin Eye (ages 4-8) by Denise Fleming
I have a little apprehension on this story, but it is because I am ultra sensitive to scary images.  I try to avoid them, especially at Halloween, because I do not want my children to associate the holiday with evil.  Overall, I really love the poetic, rhyming text with a fun repetition, “Trick or Treat—pounding feet.”  The pictures are bright, blurry images of Halloween night—jack-o-lanterns, children in costumes, black cats, and so forth.  Some of the costumes look a little to realistic, like the witch and the skeleton.  This book is worth reading, but I’d suggest you examine it in advance (especially for younger children) to make sure you feel comfortable with it.