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Harriet
Harriet's Halloween Candy
Harriet learns the hard way that sharing her Halloween candy makes her feel much better than eating it all herself.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 28, 2019
The Harriet books would've been around when I was a kid, but I don't remember seeing this character before. (Being completely unfamiliar with Harriet, I went through the first part of the book trying to figure out whether she was a dog or a bear!)
Harriet's Halloween Candy is a very simple story about gluttony and sharing. It has a similar plot to Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy: Candy Bonanza , though the narrative is even simpler. Basically, a child (in this case, a dog child) goes trick-or-treating, eats so much candy that they feel sick, and realizes the error of their ways. In this book, Harriet also learns to share (even though it's really her upset stomach that spurs her to share with her little brother rather than any generous feelings).
It's sort of cute, and young children will probably enjoy it. The illustrations are a bit flat and strange, though I think that was sort of the style of things back in the early 1980s (at least, I've seen quite a few picture books with a similar style from that era).
Overall, this isn't bad. I don't mind the plot, and the illustrations are passable. I guess I just wished it had a little more to the story (but I'm looking at it as an adult reader; children might love the simplicity).
Harriet's Halloween Candy is a very simple story about gluttony and sharing. It has a similar plot to Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy: Candy Bonanza , though the narrative is even simpler. Basically, a child (in this case, a dog child) goes trick-or-treating, eats so much candy that they feel sick, and realizes the error of their ways. In this book, Harriet also learns to share (even though it's really her upset stomach that spurs her to share with her little brother rather than any generous feelings).
It's sort of cute, and young children will probably enjoy it. The illustrations are a bit flat and strange, though I think that was sort of the style of things back in the early 1980s (at least, I've seen quite a few picture books with a similar style from that era).
Overall, this isn't bad. I don't mind the plot, and the illustrations are passable. I guess I just wished it had a little more to the story (but I'm looking at it as an adult reader; children might love the simplicity).
December 30, 2022
It’s cute. I think the story is pretty abstract with the “sharing is caring / careful of greed” plot, so it might be harder for a young one to grasp outside of the don’t watch too much candy plot.
December 25, 2010
Here it is Christmas Eve and my review randomizer has picked a Halloween book review for posting!
Harriet and I read Harriet's Halloween Candy by Nancy Carlson a week before Halloween. What I didn't expect was how prophetic it would end up being.
In the book, Harriet has a great haul during trick-or-treating and her little brother doesn't. Their mother insists that she has to share with her brother. At first she does it reluctantly until she nearly makes herself sick with them. Then she realizes she has far more than she could ever eat and decides to share them fairly with her brother.
As it turns out, my Harriet found herself in a similar situation except with her big brother. They both went trick-or-treating for the first time this year. Sean though got too shy with all the crowds and decided to beg out of it after only two stops. So Harriet ended up with about ten times the amount of candy. At first she didn't want to share but by midway through November she decided, like the Harriet in the book, that sharing with her brother was a good idea after all.
Harriet and I read Harriet's Halloween Candy by Nancy Carlson a week before Halloween. What I didn't expect was how prophetic it would end up being.
In the book, Harriet has a great haul during trick-or-treating and her little brother doesn't. Their mother insists that she has to share with her brother. At first she does it reluctantly until she nearly makes herself sick with them. Then she realizes she has far more than she could ever eat and decides to share them fairly with her brother.
As it turns out, my Harriet found herself in a similar situation except with her big brother. They both went trick-or-treating for the first time this year. Sean though got too shy with all the crowds and decided to beg out of it after only two stops. So Harriet ended up with about ten times the amount of candy. At first she didn't want to share but by midway through November she decided, like the Harriet in the book, that sharing with her brother was a good idea after all.
August 8, 2017
While this book does have a good moral to the story, which is important for kids to learn... I found the overall story/text to just be very shallow. This really isn't very memorable, and I'll therefore quickly forget I ever read this due to its lack of depth to the text and even the illustrations.
October 23, 2022
Harriet learns to share when too much candy makes her ill.
August 28, 2024
Harriet learns an important lesson about being greedy when she refuses to share her candy with her younger brother.
October 16, 2024
A cute, simple read
April 9, 2025
This surely had zero effect on my current interest in furry feederism when I read it as a kid
April 11, 2010
“Harriet’s Halloween Candy” is a cute children’s book from the mind of Nancy Carlson about sharing when Harriet gets some Halloween candy and refuses to share some with her brother, but soon learns the hard way that sharing can actually make her feel good about herself. “Harriet’s Halloween Candy” is a cute story that will have children ldarn the importance of sharing after they read this book.
Nancy Carlson has done a great job with both illustrating and writing this cute children’s story about sharing. Nancy Carlson makes a good point about the importance of sharing when Harriet at first refuses to share with Walter, but then she learns that sharing is important after she gets sick from eating too much candy. Also, I love the way that Nancy Carlson makes this book simple to read by putting about ten to twelve words per page so that smaller children can have an easier time reading this book themselves. Nancy Carlson also does a great job with the illustrations as she made each character an animal, which in this case the only animals shown in this book are dogs and she makes the images look colorful also as she makes the characters have a wide variety of colors on them that make them come to life. I especially love the image of Harriet herself as she looks like a yellow golden retriever who walks like a human being, similar to Arthur from the “Arthur” series.
“Harriet’s Halloween Candy” is a cute story about the importance of sharing with your siblings and how one must be extremely careful about eating too much candy. I would recommend this book for children ages four and up since this book is written in a simple format that young children can easily understand.
From my Epinions Review:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Harrie...
Nancy Carlson has done a great job with both illustrating and writing this cute children’s story about sharing. Nancy Carlson makes a good point about the importance of sharing when Harriet at first refuses to share with Walter, but then she learns that sharing is important after she gets sick from eating too much candy. Also, I love the way that Nancy Carlson makes this book simple to read by putting about ten to twelve words per page so that smaller children can have an easier time reading this book themselves. Nancy Carlson also does a great job with the illustrations as she made each character an animal, which in this case the only animals shown in this book are dogs and she makes the images look colorful also as she makes the characters have a wide variety of colors on them that make them come to life. I especially love the image of Harriet herself as she looks like a yellow golden retriever who walks like a human being, similar to Arthur from the “Arthur” series.
“Harriet’s Halloween Candy” is a cute story about the importance of sharing with your siblings and how one must be extremely careful about eating too much candy. I would recommend this book for children ages four and up since this book is written in a simple format that young children can easily understand.
From my Epinions Review:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Harrie...
July 17, 2012
After reading this book to my students I will introduce them to a giant bag full of items, (paper clips, unifix cubes, pencils, and erasers)I will also provide my students with individual bags and tell them to evenly sort the items in the large bag into the smaller individual bags. Once this task is completed I ask each student how many of each item they have in their bags. I would then provide them with another item and ask them where this item should go (this item will make the count uneven, and I want to hear their solution for this problem). After the activity we will discuss the book and how their experience related to the book.
October 18, 2016
This was an ok book. I wasn't blown away by it but it wasn't terrible. It wasn't particularly memorable either. I actually forgot I read this book with my daughter.
The moral of the story is to share your candy and not keep it all to yourself. Although Harriet didn't get caught in the end... so I'm not sure how I feel about that. The moral is still there - she will get sick eating so much candy and being greedy doesn't get you anywhere. I guess she learns her lesson because she got sick, but I would have liked her mom to have caught her rather than Harriet pretend that she was sharing all along...
The moral of the story is to share your candy and not keep it all to yourself. Although Harriet didn't get caught in the end... so I'm not sure how I feel about that. The moral is still there - she will get sick eating so much candy and being greedy doesn't get you anywhere. I guess she learns her lesson because she got sick, but I would have liked her mom to have caught her rather than Harriet pretend that she was sharing all along...
October 5, 2020
After Harriet tries to eat all her Halloween candy to avoid sharing with her younger brother, she discovers that it's better to share than to eat oneself sick.
This a very gentle story about sharing, which teaches both moderation and generosity to others. It also illustrates how jealously guarding one's possessions can cause anxiety. Most young readers will be able to relate to the joys of Halloween candy and the disinclination to share.
I recalled this book from my childhood, and it's still as sweet and enjoyable today.
This a very gentle story about sharing, which teaches both moderation and generosity to others. It also illustrates how jealously guarding one's possessions can cause anxiety. Most young readers will be able to relate to the joys of Halloween candy and the disinclination to share.
I recalled this book from my childhood, and it's still as sweet and enjoyable today.
November 14, 2011
The story I shared with our large crowd right before this one ended with a little boy showing off his HUGE Halloween candy haul. This provided the perfect closure. Harriet, like so many children do on Halloween upon arriving back home, dumped her candy out and sorted and counted it. She didn't want to share with her little brother, despite her mother's request that she share.
The next day she hides the candy one place and another, til finally she decides the best solution is to eat it all.
In the end she is happy to share with her brother, but dismayed when Mom calls them to supper.
The next day she hides the candy one place and another, til finally she decides the best solution is to eat it all.
In the end she is happy to share with her brother, but dismayed when Mom calls them to supper.
November 4, 2012
"Harriet's Halloween Candy," by Nancy Carlson, is a delightful story about greed that is suitable for emergent readers.
Harriet goes trick-or-treating. On her return home, she assess her booty. Harriet concludes that she wants to eat all the candies, and not share any of them with her little brother. She eats so much candy that she turns green. Finally, feeling quite sick, she gives her little brother some candy. While her mother praises Harriet for her generosity, Harriet feels sick and guilty.
Harriet goes trick-or-treating. On her return home, she assess her booty. Harriet concludes that she wants to eat all the candies, and not share any of them with her little brother. She eats so much candy that she turns green. Finally, feeling quite sick, she gives her little brother some candy. While her mother praises Harriet for her generosity, Harriet feels sick and guilty.
February 23, 2013
Not quite as funny as the others and pretty predictable, Harriet actually shows a selfish side for once with her halloween candy. It bites her in the butt in the end though as all the hoarding and eating of candy makes her turn green with nausea. At least in this book she didn't have a nightmare about someone taking her candy, although again there were several scenes where she worried about it. If her nervouness doesn't end I can totally see sedatives being required as an adult :D
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October 18, 2010This is about Harriet who got a lot candy from trick -a -treat but she did not want to share them with her brother. She hid them in many different places until she finally decide to eat them. She started to eat them and then got sick from eating too much and then she decided to share.
October 27, 2012
I used to LOVE Nancy Carlson back in the day. This is a good one about eating too much candy and not sharing.
June 22, 2020
This book makes me feel like a kid again.
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October 31, 2012The classic! Harriet learns to share. And not to overindulge in Halloween goodies.
October 6, 2015
Harriet doesn't really want to share but something might change her mind.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews