Skelly’s Halloween is age appropriate skeletal fun

Happy, happy, joy, joy. Halloween is a fun time to be a book, especially if you’re a kidlit, friendly, happy go-lucky book about skeletons or the undead. Skelly’s Halloween is that kind of children’s book for children that are 3-8 years old. It’s manic, skeletal happiness with full color pages that those ages will love and be able to read on their own as they approach the upper end of that demographic.

Skelly is a skeleton who is all too happy. This is a skeleton more in line with a Day of The Dead celebration who is being remembered on someone’s abuelo. It’s Halloween and Skelly is giddy with excitement as he looks around the house for a costume. He entertains several ideas and eventually goes with the classic ghost costume, because he’s entirely too convincing as a skeleton.

Unfortunately, shortly after leaving the house a strong breeze grabs his sheet and he becomes more of a kite than a ghost. He greets the ground with a resounding thud, thankfully no bones are broken, but his bones are all over the place, in no way resembling the skeleton he once was.

Some animals come across him and try to assist his by convincing him to configure himself like they are. Alas, Skelly is no good as a snake, an ant or a chicken and his Humpty Dumpty life is just about to come to an end when a series of kids find him.

The kids are initially scared of the pile of bones. They’re even more scared when the bones start to talk to them. Thankfully, Skelly calms them down and simply states that he needs help being put back together. The kids agree and just like a 206 piece LEGO set, he’s back together to merrily celebrate the night.  As a bonus…. their newfound trick or treating friend knows all the best places to go.

Skelly’s Halloween is utterly charming. Its bright colors, playful words and happy illustrations will delight ages 3 and up. Our 8 year-old thought the book looked ‘too babyish’; despite the fact that I said he would like it. One particular thing I thought he would like was the back cover with has a rough overview of the human bones, plus those of a bird, snake and the exoskeleton of the ant. This educational touch still retains the happy go-lucky mojo that Skelly represents throughout the book. It’s playfully scary, that also teaches a subconscious lesson to younger children that it’s OK to be yourself, even if that’s different from everyone else.

Skelly’s Halloween is by David Martin with illustrations by Lori Richmond. The book is even more charming when you discover that author David Martin wrote the book because his grandson asked him to write a skeleton book.