5. Hallowilloween

Written and illustrated by Calef Brown

Houghton Mifflin, 2010

$16.99, ages 5-8, 40 pages

Don't look now, nonsensical beasts are on the prowl and they're sure to make you giggle.

Brown, the master of silliness, returns with a celebration of 14 things to be wary of on All Hallows Eve.

He begins with the furriest of brutes, a werewolf named Jack who crouches in the doorway.

Jack's a "give you a scare wolf," a "constantly burping and fouling the air wolf," he writes.

And he's right over there on the page right beside you, so try not stare!

If you're feeling hungry, you might want to pass on supper with the Grim Reeper, who recites drop-dead epitaphs, or the raven on a tarantula ranch who likes his vittles crispy.

"This is the home / and humble haven / of Old Napoleon / the hungry raven / who gorges on spiders / each day at lunchtime. / Munch, munch, munch. / He calls it 'crunch time.'"

And by all means, never tarry if alley cats begin to hiss and scowl.

"Those fools who meddle / or get in the middle / end up in the hospital / covered in cat spittle," Brown says matter-of-factly.

9. Even Monsters Need Haircuts

Written and illustrated by Matthew McElligott

Walker & Company, 2010

$14.99, ages 4-8, 40 pages

Some say full moons cause sleeplessness and craziness, and one little boy should know.

He gets up at midnight every month when the moon is as round as a beach ball and heads down to his dad's barber shop to give his monster friends hair-dos.

Like every lunar cycle before, it's been a month since their last cut and some are looking kind of shaggy -- well, sort.

Frankenstein needs his flattop squared up, an ogre has a maverick hair twirling out of the top of his purple head and Medusa's snake locks could use a few braids.

The boy's not a bit scared and he's careful to follow family rules, especially the one about not going out of the house alone.

His friend Vlad, the vampire bat, meets him outside his window and flies by his side as he walks to the back of Dad's shop with a skeleton key in hand.

Once inside, Vlad loses the wings and goes around the shop flipping around wall art of coiffed human heads to show glam monsters on the other sides.

Now it's time for the boy to unpack grooming supplies from his backpack: his stink wax, tangling brush and, of course, shamp-ewww to keep his customers nice and hideous.

Vlad is first in the barber seat: he wants a sculpted forward-combed do. You can tell he trusts the boy completely, since he can't see his reflection in the mirror.

10. Big Scary Monster

Written and illustrated by Thomas Docherty

Templar Books, 2010

$15.99, ages 4-8, 40 pages

A hulking blue monster struts about scaring every creature at the top of a mountain until one day he gets a taste of his own terror.

Standing on the top of the mountain, the monster knows he's the biggest, scariest creature around and delights in sneaking up on little creatures, yelling, "Boo!," and seeing them scatter.

After awhile, the cute little bunnies, pigs, wiener dogs, roosters, frogs and turtles learn to hide from the big blocky fellow, leaving him scratching his head and wondering what to do.

Then one day while looking out from the peak, the big scary monster sees tiny little animals frolicking around in the valley and decides he needs a new herd of hapless creatures to scare.

So he ambles down the mountain, his big clawed arms swinging with confidence. But as the monster gets further down the mountain, something strange begins to happen: his perspective changes.

Rocks become bigger, and so do plants, and soon both are shadowing over him. 

And what of the little creatures playing below?

They're enormous: every little creature he used to scare has a counterpart that is double his size.

Shaken by the growing size of things, the monster hides behind a giant fluffy rock for safety. He's never been so scared in his life.

But why is the rock twitching?

12. If You're a Monster and You Know It

Written and illustrated by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley

Orchard Books (Scholastic), 2010

$16.99

If you want to see your children go zombie over a book, hold this one in front of them.

Then stand back and watch their eyes bulge out and their arms spring forward to get it out of your hands.

The Emberleys latest gem is an eye-popping delight. Bold, crisp cut-outs of rainbow colored monsters growl and jiggle to a raucous rendition of the popular repetitive song, "If You're Happy and You Know It."

As monsters jump out from all angles of the page with huge, hypnotic eyes, readers are coaxed to join in with the song and show they're monsters too by acting out various prompts.

First the monsters snort and growl, then they smack their claws, stomp their paws and twitch their tails. Next comes the silliest yet, wiggle your warts, as monsters shake their spotted bodies and flip around.

Then it's time for readers to show their stuff with a roar. As your child turns the page, a jagged mouthed monster opens his jaws wide over a two-page spread, suggesting just how loud they should cry out.

But wait, isn't it time for the tail of the song?

Clear out some furniture, Mom and Dad, it's time to do all six prompts at once!