Halloween is one of my favorite nights of the year, but not every little one loves the spooky side of it. Some kids can’t wait for the monsters. Others peek at them through their fingers. When I wrote Hallomean: The Monster Who Stole Halloween, I wanted a story for both: a monster book that makes kids giggle, not hide under the blanket.
What happens in the story
Halloween is the one night the monsters of Spooksland can visit our world. But when Grumbletoes trips and spills the magic dust, there isn’t enough for all five friends… and they go without him.
Left behind, Grumbletoes feels hurt. Then his sad feeling turns angry-hot. Mean-hot. If he can’t have Halloween, nobody will! So he takes every single treat in town. Empty buckets. Empty porches. The worst Halloween EVER?
Can the friends say sorry, forgive each other, and un-ruin Halloween together? You’ll have to read it to find out! Kenneth Togonon’s illustrations make the monsters of Spooksland more cuddly than creepy.
Why “not scary” matters
For children ages 4 to 8, Halloween can be a lot: costumes, masks, dark streets, sudden surprises. A story where the “monster” is really a friend with hurt feelings gives kids a safe way to enjoy the fun of the season. And it opens the door to talk about something every child knows: what it feels like to be left out.
More than candy: what kids take away
- Feeling left out is hard, and it’s okay to talk about it.
- Hurt feelings can turn into anger (“angry-hot, mean-hot”), and there is a better way to handle them.
- Saying sorry goes both ways: the friends were wrong too.
- Making things right together is better than staying mad.
- Sharing matters, even when there doesn’t seem to be enough for everyone.
Read it together: 3 questions to ask
After the last page, try these questions with your child:
- Have you ever felt left out? How did it feel?
- What could the friends have done when the magic dust spilled?
- How did the monsters un-ruin Halloween?
A little tip: give Grumbletoes a grumbly voice and let your child say the “angry-hot, mean-hot” part with you. It’s a fun way to name big feelings out loud.
Free Hallomean printables
Keep the fun going after story time! Color the Monster Crew, draw your own monster, and more. 🎃
👉 Download the free Hallomean printables (PDF)
Looking for more? You’ll find coloring pages and activity sheets for all my books in the Free Printables.
Book details
- Ages 4–8, read-aloud picture book
- Written by Barbara Pinke, illustrated by Kenneth Togonon
- Paperback, hardcover, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited
Parents on Amazon say Hallomean opens real conversations about sharing, friendship and saying sorry, and that it’s a Halloween story their kids can enjoy without being scared.
👉 Get Hallomean on Amazon · More about the book
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