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The Night Before Halloween
It's time for Halloween! Celebrate the holiday with this this family fun read-aloud, a delightful seasonal entry in Natasha Wing's best-selling series.
Little monsters and goofy goblins take center stage in this silly, spooky spin on Clement C. Moore's beloved poem. But what will happen on Halloween when the monsters come face to face with human trick-or-treaters in this fun-filled book by the author of The Night Before Easter?
A perfect gift to get young readers excited for this festive fall holiday!
Little monsters and goofy goblins take center stage in this silly, spooky spin on Clement C. Moore's beloved poem. But what will happen on Halloween when the monsters come face to face with human trick-or-treaters in this fun-filled book by the author of The Night Before Easter?
A perfect gift to get young readers excited for this festive fall holiday!
32 pages, Library Binding
First published August 16, 1999
About the author
Natasha Wing
74 books137 followersWhy am I a writer? When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a teacher. I’d line up my stuffed animals in front of a board and teach them the alphabet and how to count. In high school I wanted to be a tennis player. I was on the tennis team, and played at our neighborhood tennis club. Then in college I thought digging dinosaur bones would be a cool job. It wasn’t until I was working at my own public relations agency that I decided I really wanted to write children’s books. I was so inspired by the magic of reading a book that I wanted to see if my active imagination could create magical moments for kids all over the world. I started to write, then sent my stories to publishers, and sold my first manuscript in 1992. I’ve been writing ever since.
Why I write now.
I love the freedom of being my own boss, of coming up with ideas on my own and writing that first draft to see if my idea has any spark. I’m not so crazy about the revising process although there are thrilling moments when I figure out a better way to say something, or when I nail dialog, or work through a complicated plot line. The most exciting moment is when an editor says they want to publish my manuscript. Then I know all my hard work has paid off, and that soon, children will enter my imaginative world through a book.
Why I write now.
I love the freedom of being my own boss, of coming up with ideas on my own and writing that first draft to see if my idea has any spark. I’m not so crazy about the revising process although there are thrilling moments when I figure out a better way to say something, or when I nail dialog, or work through a complicated plot line. The most exciting moment is when an editor says they want to publish my manuscript. Then I know all my hard work has paid off, and that soon, children will enter my imaginative world through a book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
October 31, 2021
The Night Before Halloween is a children's picture book written by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Cynthia Fisher. It is a book about a family of monsters getting ready for Halloween for the upcoming children trick-or-treaters. As today is the eve of Halloween, I thought reading this book would be apropos.
Wing's text is simplistic and lyrical. It is written in the style of "The Night Before Christmas". The poem was written especially well and follows the rhythm and style of the original poem extremely well. Fisher's illustrations are wonderfully depicted, albeit a tad cartoonish, but represented the text rather well.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. The book is divided into two – the first and last parts bookend the story with Monsters getting ready for Halloween the night before. The middle of the book have the children enjoying Halloween day and going trick-or-treat during the night – the last house the most scariest – the monster house. Unfortunately, the children were all too scared and ran away to enjoy the monster's party, but they enjoyed it nevertheless on their own.
All in all, The Night Before Halloween is a wonderful children's book done in the style of "The Night Before Christmas". Although, I wished that the children were not scared away by the monsters and enjoyed the party with them, but it was a good story nevertheless.
Wing's text is simplistic and lyrical. It is written in the style of "The Night Before Christmas". The poem was written especially well and follows the rhythm and style of the original poem extremely well. Fisher's illustrations are wonderfully depicted, albeit a tad cartoonish, but represented the text rather well.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. The book is divided into two – the first and last parts bookend the story with Monsters getting ready for Halloween the night before. The middle of the book have the children enjoying Halloween day and going trick-or-treat during the night – the last house the most scariest – the monster house. Unfortunately, the children were all too scared and ran away to enjoy the monster's party, but they enjoyed it nevertheless on their own.
All in all, The Night Before Halloween is a wonderful children's book done in the style of "The Night Before Christmas". Although, I wished that the children were not scared away by the monsters and enjoyed the party with them, but it was a good story nevertheless.
June 25, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. A wonderful read for children of all ages.
October 28, 2016
found Oct. 6, 2016 on library catalog
2.5
Having just read a Halloween book with the theme The 12 Days of Christmas, I was dismayed to learn this was like Twas the Night Before Christmas, which I didn't realize when I requested it from my library. I thought it was an easy scapegoat to just reword things to a story that had already been written, and wanted an original story, but I actually ended up liking the take on the Christmas story, and how the words were changed to fit Halloween.
It was a good story that monsters decorate their house in preparation of trick-or-treaters coming. That was such an original idea, and most of the time I forgot it was supposed to read like the 12 days of Christmas, because the wording wasn't as obvious. At other times it was clear only a few words had been changed, like "visions of candy corn danced in their heads." I enjoyed the rhyming and really liked a lot of the wording choices and ideas she had. I liked that jack-o-lanterns were set out on porches with care. The lines "So they walked to the house at the top of the hill, which gave all the kids a spine-tingling thrill. They stood on the porch and were ready to knock, when they heard heavy footsteps and a turn of the lock" really set up anticipation for what was to come. It was so cute when the witch said they had a surprise, "and the children yelled "Run! It's not a disguise!" It was disappointing that the house full of monsters had spent so much time decorating and getting food ready specifically for children to come in and the kids ended up running away and didn't even come inside, so the monsters had a party themselves. I liked the parting wish "Happy Halloween to all--and to all a fright night!"
All in all it was a cute read with nice wording. The story was pretty good, but the artwork ruined it for me. It was kind of messy and simple, looked like loose sketches with brushy coloring that sometimes wasn't even in the lines. I definitely didn't like the style of the illustrations. They were just sloppy and reminded me of Sesame Street.
2.5
Having just read a Halloween book with the theme The 12 Days of Christmas, I was dismayed to learn this was like Twas the Night Before Christmas, which I didn't realize when I requested it from my library. I thought it was an easy scapegoat to just reword things to a story that had already been written, and wanted an original story, but I actually ended up liking the take on the Christmas story, and how the words were changed to fit Halloween.
It was a good story that monsters decorate their house in preparation of trick-or-treaters coming. That was such an original idea, and most of the time I forgot it was supposed to read like the 12 days of Christmas, because the wording wasn't as obvious. At other times it was clear only a few words had been changed, like "visions of candy corn danced in their heads." I enjoyed the rhyming and really liked a lot of the wording choices and ideas she had. I liked that jack-o-lanterns were set out on porches with care. The lines "So they walked to the house at the top of the hill, which gave all the kids a spine-tingling thrill. They stood on the porch and were ready to knock, when they heard heavy footsteps and a turn of the lock" really set up anticipation for what was to come. It was so cute when the witch said they had a surprise, "and the children yelled "Run! It's not a disguise!" It was disappointing that the house full of monsters had spent so much time decorating and getting food ready specifically for children to come in and the kids ended up running away and didn't even come inside, so the monsters had a party themselves. I liked the parting wish "Happy Halloween to all--and to all a fright night!"
All in all it was a cute read with nice wording. The story was pretty good, but the artwork ruined it for me. It was kind of messy and simple, looked like loose sketches with brushy coloring that sometimes wasn't even in the lines. I definitely didn't like the style of the illustrations. They were just sloppy and reminded me of Sesame Street.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2016
I was going to read this yesterday, but I thought it would be perfect and very fitting to read this the night before halloween!
I could tell from the cover, there would be lots of little detail to take in.
Wow, the rhyme is so much like the Christmas version!
‘all the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse.’ Haha!
The bone step ladders on the bed, the ghost chandelier.
Frankenstein’s bride looks tooold.
‘bedtime at dawn’. ‘wee hours of night’ to remind you it’s a Halloween book.
Nice to use Halloween candy. ‘visions of candy corn danced in their heads.’
On the street for the costume party, there’s a fairy that looks just like the girls. I thought it was her, and checked to see if her brother was with her, but he wasn’t. then I noticed it wasn’t the sister because the hairclips weren’t the same.
The picture in the black family’s home is just a blob.
‘Moms re-painted faces, and straightened clown hats, put wings back on fairies, angels, and bats.’ Moms repainting faces really captures Halloween night. I like the rhyme there, and the different characters that have wings.
Wow someone dressing as santa for Halloween!
When the witch talks to them, the children yell “run! It’s not a disguise!’ hahah!
The terror on the wide-eyed zombie, sad-looking ghost, scared rabbit, and terrified fairy are so cute!!
The little green monsters are so cute. Frankenstein’s bride suddenly looks a lot younger. Where is Frankenstein anyway?! he should be in here, especially over his bride.
I cant believe the kids ran away and didn’t come back!!
Very cute rhyming. I love good rhyming, and this book definitely had that.
I could tell from the cover, there would be lots of little detail to take in.
Wow, the rhyme is so much like the Christmas version!
‘all the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse.’ Haha!
The bone step ladders on the bed, the ghost chandelier.
Frankenstein’s bride looks tooold.
‘bedtime at dawn’. ‘wee hours of night’ to remind you it’s a Halloween book.
Nice to use Halloween candy. ‘visions of candy corn danced in their heads.’
On the street for the costume party, there’s a fairy that looks just like the girls. I thought it was her, and checked to see if her brother was with her, but he wasn’t. then I noticed it wasn’t the sister because the hairclips weren’t the same.
The picture in the black family’s home is just a blob.
‘Moms re-painted faces, and straightened clown hats, put wings back on fairies, angels, and bats.’ Moms repainting faces really captures Halloween night. I like the rhyme there, and the different characters that have wings.
Wow someone dressing as santa for Halloween!
When the witch talks to them, the children yell “run! It’s not a disguise!’ hahah!
The terror on the wide-eyed zombie, sad-looking ghost, scared rabbit, and terrified fairy are so cute!!
The little green monsters are so cute. Frankenstein’s bride suddenly looks a lot younger. Where is Frankenstein anyway?! he should be in here, especially over his bride.
I cant believe the kids ran away and didn’t come back!!
Very cute rhyming. I love good rhyming, and this book definitely had that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2015
There are two stories here - what's going on with the monsters in the neighborhood, and what's going on with the children. As it turns out, the anticipation and celebration of Halloween looks much the same for both parties. Cute and quick story done in the vein of "The Night Before Christmas."
May 19, 2024
Adorable adaptation of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” with delightful illustrations. Monsters, ghosts, witches and mummies get a chance to enjoy the holiday together...but will the young human trick-or -treaters join them?
Happy Halloween!🎃
Happy Halloween!🎃
December 3, 2020
For: spooky/Halloween fans; readers looking for a book about Halloween with lots of rhythm.
Possible red flags: rhyme and illustrations feature a Romani costume and use the slur, which would have been less jarring when it was originally written--prepare to have a conversation.
Possible red flags: rhyme and illustrations feature a Romani costume and use the slur, which would have been less jarring when it was originally written--prepare to have a conversation.
October 30, 2013
Follows the pattern of The Night Before Christmas, a fun book to read around Halloween!
January 18, 2021
This was a pretty good storytime book. It did have a culturally sensitive topic about gypsies on page 16.
July 14, 2025
It’s the night before Halloween. All of the monsters are decorating the house. They make food, put up streamers and ribbons, and blow up balloons. Then, they find the best costumes they have, and when the light breaks into the house, they fall asleep. When the monsters fall asleep, the children wake up. They’re dressed in all sorts of costumes, from zombies to fairies to princesses. They spend the entire day having fun playing carnival games, bobbing for apples, and riding on hay bales. When the time comes to trick or treat, they go in a group, getting candy from everywhere. Then, a princess points out that they’ve missed one house, which unbeknownst to them, contained monsters. When they knock on the door, a witch comes out and invites them in. The children all run away because the monsters aren’t in costumes. However, the monsters just wanted the kids to have fun with them, but have a jolly good time anyways.
Reason for Recommendation: This book is part of the classic The Night Before series, and depicts how monsters may get ready for Halloween.
Reason for Recommendation: This book is part of the classic The Night Before series, and depicts how monsters may get ready for Halloween.
June 5, 2017
I will own upfront that my review of this work is biased on two accounts - first, my son, to whom I have read this book multiple times, was born on the titular night and, second, Halloween is a big to do in my life- we hosts parties and attend events more in that holiday than mist others. Having said that, the story, as other reviewers note, readily creates a version of Twas the Night Before Christmas for the Halloween season, with creatures and the like working through the night to prep for their holiday. My kids love it and it is read with the same holiday zeal we reserve for the original poem at Christmas. You may not find it as easy to revel in it as I do, but with few great kid friendly poems out there for Halloween or creature loving Pre-K populations, you could do way worse than seeking this work out in your local bookstore!
October 30, 2021
Very cute. This is 36-pages and it's very colorful. I love the line, "The wicked witch said, "Welcome. We have a surprise." And the children said, "Run! It's not a disguise!" The book is only as long as the poem.
My favorite image is below.
read-to-the-girls
April 10, 2020We went through a phase when we read that EVERY SINGLE NIGHT for at least two months. It was Riri, she loved it so much that she was able to say many lines by heart at 3... While reading the same thing over and over again might seems like a chore, it was not really. The book is short and has a musical quality that makes it pleasing to the ears. I enjoyed it, making voices and all that jazz... It is funny how kids will get fixated on things sometimes. This book has been buried for half a year or so, but recently Riri asked for it again. That one night did not turn out in a weeks or months this time...
Fun little book.
Fun little book.
September 23, 2023
"Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the house, all the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse. The monsters had gathered to plan and prepare for the trick-or-treaters who soon would be there." - Quote from this book. Join the monsters as they decorate for a party! I love all of Natasha Wing's books and own pretty much all of them. They're so fun and have the best rhymes, which make them great read-alouds! The illustrations are so cute! Follow @Bronteandwilder on Instagram for more fun book recommendations!
Read
December 14, 2021I used this text with my first graders the day before Halloween to talk and discuss the different elements of Halloween. It was a great source of information for why we celebrate Halloween. It also was nice to use this book with the predictability with the "The night before" series that my students are used to. It also gave my students the opportunity to tell which Halloween-themed character they would like to be and why.
June 17, 2024
I love this book !!!!! the pictures are amazing !!!!!! Its kid friendly and It has the same version the night before Christmas story. The kids just love it. It's just magical and fun all around. I love the words and the excitement the story brings.
it would be great for prek- 3rd graders. Reading to them and upper classes reading it themselves.
Fantasy.
it would be great for prek- 3rd graders. Reading to them and upper classes reading it themselves.
Fantasy.
October 19, 2025
A very cute childrens book that puts a nice Halloween coat of paint over some usual Christmas tales while incorporating such lovely almost watercolor looking drawings. Just a fun quick little read all the way through with its rhyming, once you get into a flow its hard to stop. Highly recommended for a teacher wanting a Halloween themed book to read to their class
September 13, 2019
I really enjoy this series. It has some great storylines and I love the way Natasha Wing finds a way to use the Night Before for pretty much any occasion. This one is cute and I can't wait to share it with my niece and nephew.
October 20, 2022
I read this to about 20 kindergarten and Grade 1 kids. It was 11 days before Halloween. They loved it.
The same rhyme pattern as The Night Before Christmas, which some kids knew. Fun story for them and good illustrations.
The same rhyme pattern as The Night Before Christmas, which some kids knew. Fun story for them and good illustrations.
November 9, 2022
The Halloween party in this book looked very fun. Everyone was wearing a costume. My favorite costume was the person dressed as a cat because I love cats! I liked when they went trick or treating and got a lot of candy. I got a lot of candy this year too!
October 11, 2017
Sunshine loves Halloween and this book is perfect in capturing the fun of the holiday. Sunshine and I loved saying “trick or treat” and “Happy Halloween” louder and louder. Such an engaging story.
November 4, 2017
good book for the boys
November 8, 2017
Children get ready for Halloween, party and then trick or treat. fun and fast paced. preschool and up for length
September 25, 2018
I give it a three out of five
It was an ok book in my opinion. I enjoyed this book.
It was good.
I liked it.
Thank you
It was an ok book in my opinion. I enjoyed this book.
It was good.
I liked it.
Thank you
September 28, 2018
An amazing series
We love this little Night Before Series! The rhyming and simplicity make them all perfect for our kids 5, 4 and 2.
We love this little Night Before Series! The rhyming and simplicity make them all perfect for our kids 5, 4 and 2.
September 20, 2019
This is so cute and really stays with the rhythm of the original poem.
October 3, 2019
My 3 kids and I enjoyed reading this book. The story was cute and easy to follow along with. I would recommend this book to others.
October 24, 2019
A Halloween adaptation of Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas with simple cartoony pictures.
November 9, 2019
I read it to my grandkids and they enjoyed it. It was fun and perfect for the ocassion.
December 30, 2019
Book 91 of my Goodreads Challenge 2019
A bright fun children's picture book for Halloween.
A bright fun children's picture book for Halloween.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews