- J is for Jack-O’-Lantern: A Halloween Alphabet by Denise Brennan-Nelson, illustrated by Donald Wu
- Level: Ages 4-10 (see notes)
- Library Binding: 40 pages
- Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press (August 1, 2009)
- ISBN-13: 978-1585364435
Back-of-the-book blurb: Who lit the first jack-o’-lantern? What creature of the night must return to his grave by dawn? And why do we holler “Trick or treat”? J is for Jack-O’-Lantern: A Halloween Alphabet invites you to come along on this A-Z adventure and celebration of all things that “go bump in the night.”
She is Too Fond of Books’ Review: Just in time for fall, and the season of haunting, J is for Jack-O’-Lantern is that perfect combination of short poems, expansive prose, and detailed illustrations that will appeal to kids of all ages. From the youngest (in my family, that’s the little guy who will sit for the 4-line poems and enjoys exploring Wu’s illustrations), to the oldest (me! who loves Brennan-Nelson’s winning combination of seasonal facts and lore), and everyone in between (7- and 11-year old independent readers who are bursting with Halloween ideas they want to try).
J is for Jack-O’-Lantern follows the Sleeping Bear Press alphabet book format of double-page spreads covering two letters of the alphabet. A simple 4-line poem sits on the illustration, and longer explanatory prose fills the sidebars.
Here’s a glance at the letters O and P:
Looking at that a little more closely, you can read a bit of the type of detail found in this wonderful book:
- the origin of the word “pumpkin”
- the many ways Native Americans used pumpkins
- pumpkins are a fruit! (that was a surprise to my kids)
- how pumpkins grow
- fun fact – “Antarctica is the only continent where pumpkins cannot grow”
And that’s only one letter; there are 25 additional pages to absorb.
Wu’s pencil drawings are for the most part, bright. Lots of detail make it fun for the non-reader to spend time between the pages. Even the “darker” pages aren’t going to give anyone nightmares. Here’s Q (for Quivering and Quaking) and R (for Rattling Bones):
Brennan-Nelson neatly intersperse facts, lore, and ideas for Halloween celebrations. Suggestions of costumes, party games, and refreshments are found throughout the book and in the back pages. An activity guide for J is for Jack-O’-Lantern is available online.
The alphabet books from Sleeping Bear Press have to be my favorite picture book series. You can read my review of V is for Venus Flytrap: A Plant Alphabet to see another theme. Or look for the alphabet book for your state; the Discover America State by State series has 51 books – one for each state plus the District of Columbia.
These are ideal for home, school, or library use, and at about $15 for a sturdy hardcover, are a nice alternatives to Legos for a birthday gift. Maybe you’d like to treat your family to Jack this Halloween!
I love the cover of that book! A Jack-o-Lantern (with glasses) made to look like the boy who’s carving it is priceless. This book is gorgeous!
dang it, I wasn’t going to buy anymore picture books! …. off to my wishlist…..
Thanks for the comment on winners – most were duplicates of book sent to me for review so it’s all about the postage now. I’ve got one more book that didn’t arrive in time so watch for another giveaway
The illustrations are beautiful. I love Halloween books. I bought a good one the other day Bone Soup. It’s a take-off of the old Stone Soup story but the illustrations reminded me of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Here’s the link:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Bone-Soup/Cambria-Evans/e/9780618809080/?itm=1&usri=bone+soup
Ooh- another Halloween book. I love it.
Actually I’ve had V is for Venus Flytrap on my list ever since I read your review (which also included beautiful pictures from the book). This one looks wonderful too. I didn’t realize they were a series. Unfortunately, the little people in my life prefer the legos, specifically, Glatorians. And did you know that these robot-monster-gladiators in many colors are actually marketed as the most evil ones being the black ones? But, I digress! My stuffed animals don’t like legos at all, and would love for me to buy these books and read to them!
This sounds like an adorable book. Our discussion about it on twitter convinced me that I must purchase it this weekend. Thank you for introducing me to this publisher!
Looks delightful! And now I must go check out your review “V” for Venus Flytrap…
I adore alphabet books. I keep toying with the idea to collect but – egads! That might start a real sickness!
This looks great.
Wonderful illustrations!
kathy – Wu’s illustrations are fun throughout the book – not cartoonish, but friendly (even the spooky ones!)
Gina – wishlist never end, do they?!
Ti – thanks for the recommendation. We have a big collection of books that get unpacked each season. I love to see the kids’ faces “I remember this one!”
Carol – J is for Jack-O’-Lantern has a lot of good seasonal info too (but the focus is Halloween)
Rhapsody – Glatorians? Seriously?! I love to build with Legos, but enough is enough; I’ll be sure to stay away from that particular set that advocates discrimination … what are they thinking?! (I wrote this post after stepping on some Legos in my bare feet yesterday). Yes! Check out V IS FOR VENUS FLYTRAP, J IS FOR JACK-O-LANTERN and G IS FOR GRAND CANYON (The Arizona book)
Jenn – I didn’t know them until this year; every book is a winner in my eyes.
Diana – they’re books that will stay on our shelves for quite a while!
Care – collecting alphabet books, why didn’t I think of that?! I’ll support you in your habit
Dorte – aren’t they sweet?! I like the expressions on the faces.
I love this! All of the books in this series are really great. I’ve got a few in the library I work for. Must add this one to the list
Love the illustrations, sounds like a great book to share with my son considering the time of the year.
Oh this does look nice! I just love children’s books for the illustrations. And it seems like a nice combination of information depending on the age of the reader.
Donald Wu’s illustrations are so cute. I would have adored something like this as a kid!
I love the drawings! I don’t have kids, but I may have to check out the state books.
I love the illustrations in this book, they are really colorful and bright! I think this book would make a great gift for my friend’s two younger sons, so I am going to see about grabbing a copy. Thanks for the awesome review, and especially for featuring the spotlight on the illustrations.