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It's Halloween
Ghosts, pumpkins, witches, and black cats abound in original Halloween poems for the beginning reader
48 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1977
6 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Jack Prelutsky
152 books237 followersJack Prelutsky is an American poet. He attended New York public schools, and later the High School of Music and Art and Hunter College. Prelutsky, who has also worked as a busboy, furniture mover, folk singer, and cab driver, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way it was taught. He is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep< and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. He has also compiled countless children's anthologies comprised of poems of others'. Jack Prelutsky was married to Von Tre Venefue, a woman he had met in France. They divorced in 1995, but Jack remarried. He currently lives in Washington state with his wife, Carolyn. He befriended a gay poet named Espiritu Salamanca in 1997 and both now work together in writing poems and stories for children and adults alike.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 31, 2025
No one writes fun poetry quite like Jack Prelutsky, and his holiday collections are among his most enjoyable. After the otherworldly job Arnold Lobel did illustrating Prelutsky's Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep, Marylin Hafner had a lot to live up to in It's Halloween, and she performs admirably, stirring the poet's words to compelling visual life. The childhood excitement of the season is palpable in these thirteen poems (I wonder if that number was chosen deliberately) as we explore the major and mild frights of October 31.
"It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can't be seen
On any other night"
—"It's Halloween", P. 7
The title poem starts us off with a lyrical overview of Halloween's delightfully atmospheric thrills. The night's unique ambience is part of why trick-or-treating is such fun. "The Skeleton Parade" is next, all clacking, clinking bones as a troupe of skeletons walks out in the open as they cannot do on any other day. We then read "The Tricksters", a ballad of three clever kids dressed as a witch, a skeleton, and a ghost, who love Halloween for the opportunities it presents to play minor tricks on others. The story is enhanced by Marylin Hafner's evocative renderings of Halloween night. 'Pumpkin" follows three kids who buy a pumpkin, take it home, and carve it into a grinning jack-o'-lantern illuminated by a candle within. Designing a creative jack-o'-lantern is one sure way to get into the spooky spirit of the holiday. "Countdown" builds to a jump scare as a girl holding her cat keeps track of where all the ghosts in the house are, including one sneaking up behind her... "Countdown" is reminiscent of a lot of scary American folklore. In "Trick...", a group of kids who approach a house in costume to collect candy are chased away by the mean couple who live there. The kids exact payback with a few traditional pranks—soaping the windows and chalking their door—and maybe the couple will think twice about being rude next Halloween.
"There's a goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Who is sitting outside
And is waiting for me.
When he knocked on my door
And said softly, "Come play!"
I answered, "No thank you,
Now please, go away!"
But the goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Is still sitting outside
And is waiting for me."
—"The Goblin", PP. 33-35
"The Goblin" is the eeriest, most unsettling selection from this book, and the illustrations account for a lot of that. The kid feels pursued by the goblin without the horned creature moving an inch from its perch in the tree outside his window. The kid rebuffs the goblin's soft-spoken invitation to come out and play, but the beast just sits and stares in response, waiting. Goblins will wait as long as necessary to catch us if we wander outside without regard for the danger they pose, and this poem reminds us of that. It's a highly effective piece. "...or Treat" isn't a direct continuation of "Trick...", the poem before "The Goblin". It's a goodnatured verse about trick-or-treating door-to-door, promising to pull pranks if the people inside don't come through with candy. All in good fun. "Bobbing for Apples" frames a kid's frustrating lack of success in the title game, even as the kid's sister has no problem fishing an apple out of the water using only her teeth. It is a challenging game, and some take to it better than others. "Haunted House" is another atmospheric poem, about a house on a hill that every kid knows is inhabited by goblins, ghosts, and witches. The monsters congregate inside for their own holiday celebration on October 31, and kids know better to join them if invited. Nothing good happens at a gathering of ghoulish fiends. "Black Cat" shows a stealthy feline pattering around after dark, and a boy who sees it and runs away. He needn't court bad luck by getting too close. "Ghost" is a fun scare shared by a pair of friends, and "Happy Halloween" brings the collection to an end with the same trio from "The Tricksters" as they return home after a night of trick-or-treating, feeling full and satisfied and ready to fall asleep and dream of their happy Halloween. It's a nice final poem.
There are numerous good selections here, but "The Goblin" is best of the lot, a scary little verse with some depth. When a goblin appears at your window and asks you to play, will you agree to its request? Refusal doesn't mean you're safe forever. The monster will always be there waiting if your resolve wavers and you decide to dabble in its forbidden games. Jack Prelutsky is a reliably thoughtful writer, and "The Goblin" is his most intriguing poem in this book. It's Halloween is an entertaining collection that I'd rate two and a half stars, and Prelutsky's fans won't be disappointed. Few do juvenile poetry better than he.
"It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can't be seen
On any other night"
—"It's Halloween", P. 7
The title poem starts us off with a lyrical overview of Halloween's delightfully atmospheric thrills. The night's unique ambience is part of why trick-or-treating is such fun. "The Skeleton Parade" is next, all clacking, clinking bones as a troupe of skeletons walks out in the open as they cannot do on any other day. We then read "The Tricksters", a ballad of three clever kids dressed as a witch, a skeleton, and a ghost, who love Halloween for the opportunities it presents to play minor tricks on others. The story is enhanced by Marylin Hafner's evocative renderings of Halloween night. 'Pumpkin" follows three kids who buy a pumpkin, take it home, and carve it into a grinning jack-o'-lantern illuminated by a candle within. Designing a creative jack-o'-lantern is one sure way to get into the spooky spirit of the holiday. "Countdown" builds to a jump scare as a girl holding her cat keeps track of where all the ghosts in the house are, including one sneaking up behind her... "Countdown" is reminiscent of a lot of scary American folklore. In "Trick...", a group of kids who approach a house in costume to collect candy are chased away by the mean couple who live there. The kids exact payback with a few traditional pranks—soaping the windows and chalking their door—and maybe the couple will think twice about being rude next Halloween.
"There's a goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Who is sitting outside
And is waiting for me.
When he knocked on my door
And said softly, "Come play!"
I answered, "No thank you,
Now please, go away!"
But the goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Is still sitting outside
And is waiting for me."
—"The Goblin", PP. 33-35
"The Goblin" is the eeriest, most unsettling selection from this book, and the illustrations account for a lot of that. The kid feels pursued by the goblin without the horned creature moving an inch from its perch in the tree outside his window. The kid rebuffs the goblin's soft-spoken invitation to come out and play, but the beast just sits and stares in response, waiting. Goblins will wait as long as necessary to catch us if we wander outside without regard for the danger they pose, and this poem reminds us of that. It's a highly effective piece. "...or Treat" isn't a direct continuation of "Trick...", the poem before "The Goblin". It's a goodnatured verse about trick-or-treating door-to-door, promising to pull pranks if the people inside don't come through with candy. All in good fun. "Bobbing for Apples" frames a kid's frustrating lack of success in the title game, even as the kid's sister has no problem fishing an apple out of the water using only her teeth. It is a challenging game, and some take to it better than others. "Haunted House" is another atmospheric poem, about a house on a hill that every kid knows is inhabited by goblins, ghosts, and witches. The monsters congregate inside for their own holiday celebration on October 31, and kids know better to join them if invited. Nothing good happens at a gathering of ghoulish fiends. "Black Cat" shows a stealthy feline pattering around after dark, and a boy who sees it and runs away. He needn't court bad luck by getting too close. "Ghost" is a fun scare shared by a pair of friends, and "Happy Halloween" brings the collection to an end with the same trio from "The Tricksters" as they return home after a night of trick-or-treating, feeling full and satisfied and ready to fall asleep and dream of their happy Halloween. It's a nice final poem.
There are numerous good selections here, but "The Goblin" is best of the lot, a scary little verse with some depth. When a goblin appears at your window and asks you to play, will you agree to its request? Refusal doesn't mean you're safe forever. The monster will always be there waiting if your resolve wavers and you decide to dabble in its forbidden games. Jack Prelutsky is a reliably thoughtful writer, and "The Goblin" is his most intriguing poem in this book. It's Halloween is an entertaining collection that I'd rate two and a half stars, and Prelutsky's fans won't be disappointed. Few do juvenile poetry better than he.
October 22, 2020
No one writes fun poetry quite like Jack Prelutsky, and his holiday collections are among his most enjoyable. After the otherworldly job Arnold Lobel did illustrating Prelutsky's Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep, Marylin Hafner had a lot to live up to in It's Halloween, and she performs admirably, stirring the poet's words to compelling visual life. The childhood excitement of the season is palpable in these thirteen poems (I wonder if that number was chosen deliberately) as we explore the major and mild frights of October 31.
"It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can't be seen
On any other night"
—"It's Halloween", P. 7
The title poem starts us off with a lyrical overview of Halloween's delightfully atmospheric thrills. The night's unique ambience is part of why trick-or-treating is such fun. "The Skeleton Parade" is next, all clacking, clinking bones as a troupe of skeletons walks out in the open as they cannot do on any other day. We then read "The Tricksters", a ballad of three clever kids dressed as a witch, a skeleton, and a ghost, who love Halloween for the opportunities it presents to play minor tricks on others. The story is enhanced by Marylin Hafner's evocative renderings of Halloween night. 'Pumpkin" follows three kids who buy a pumpkin, take it home, and carve it into a grinning jack-o'-lantern illuminated by a candle within. Designing a creative jack-o'-lantern is one sure way to get into the spooky spirit of the holiday. "Countdown" builds to a jump scare as a girl holding her cat keeps track of where all the ghosts in the house are, including one sneaking up behind her... "Countdown" is reminiscent of a lot of scary American folklore. In "Trick...", a group of kids who approach a house in costume to collect candy are chased away by the mean couple who live there. The kids exact payback with a few traditional pranks—soaping the windows and chalking their door—and maybe the couple will think twice about being rude next Halloween.
"There's a goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Who is sitting outside
And is waiting for me.
When he knocked on my door
And said softly, "Come play!"
I answered, "No thank you,
Now please, go away!"
But the goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Is still sitting outside
And is waiting for me."
—"The Goblin", PP. 33-35
"The Goblin" is the eeriest, most unsettling selection from this book, and the illustrations account for a lot of that. The kid feels pursued by the goblin without the horned creature moving an inch from its perch in the tree outside his window. The kid rebuffs the goblin's soft-spoken invitation to come out and play, but the beast just sits and stares in response, waiting. Goblins will wait as long as necessary to catch us if we wander outside without regard for the danger they pose, and this poem reminds us of that. It's a highly effective piece. "...or Treat" isn't a direct continuation of "Trick...", the poem before "The Goblin". It's a goodnatured verse about trick-or-treating door-to-door, promising to pull pranks if the people inside don't come through with candy. All in good fun. "Bobbing for Apples" frames a kid's frustrating lack of success in the title game, even as the kid's sister has no problem fishing an apple out of the water using only her teeth. It is a challenging game, and some take to it better than others. "Haunted House" is another atmospheric poem, about a house on a hill that every kid knows is inhabited by goblins, ghosts, and witches. The monsters congregate inside for their own holiday celebration on October 31, and kids know better to join them if invited. Nothing good happens at a gathering of ghoulish fiends. "Black Cat" shows a stealthy feline pattering around after dark, and a boy who sees it and runs away. He needn't court bad luck by getting too close. "Ghost" is a fun scare shared by a pair of friends, and "Happy Halloween" brings the collection to an end with the same trio from "The Tricksters" as they return home after a night of trick-or-treating, feeling full and satisfied and ready to fall asleep and dream of their happy Halloween. It's a nice final poem.
There are numerous good selections here, but "The Goblin" is best of the lot, a scary little verse with some depth. When a goblin appears at your window and asks you to play, will you agree to its request? Refusal doesn't mean you're safe forever. The monster will always be there waiting if your resolve wavers and you decide to dabble in its forbidden games. Jack Prelutsky is a reliably thoughtful writer, and "The Goblin" is his most intriguing poem in this book. It's Halloween is an entertaining collection that I'd rate two and a half stars, and Prelutsky's fans won't be disappointed. Few do juvenile poetry better than he.
"It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can't be seen
On any other night"
—"It's Halloween", P. 7
The title poem starts us off with a lyrical overview of Halloween's delightfully atmospheric thrills. The night's unique ambience is part of why trick-or-treating is such fun. "The Skeleton Parade" is next, all clacking, clinking bones as a troupe of skeletons walks out in the open as they cannot do on any other day. We then read "The Tricksters", a ballad of three clever kids dressed as a witch, a skeleton, and a ghost, who love Halloween for the opportunities it presents to play minor tricks on others. The story is enhanced by Marylin Hafner's evocative renderings of Halloween night. 'Pumpkin" follows three kids who buy a pumpkin, take it home, and carve it into a grinning jack-o'-lantern illuminated by a candle within. Designing a creative jack-o'-lantern is one sure way to get into the spooky spirit of the holiday. "Countdown" builds to a jump scare as a girl holding her cat keeps track of where all the ghosts in the house are, including one sneaking up behind her... "Countdown" is reminiscent of a lot of scary American folklore. In "Trick...", a group of kids who approach a house in costume to collect candy are chased away by the mean couple who live there. The kids exact payback with a few traditional pranks—soaping the windows and chalking their door—and maybe the couple will think twice about being rude next Halloween.
"There's a goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Who is sitting outside
And is waiting for me.
When he knocked on my door
And said softly, "Come play!"
I answered, "No thank you,
Now please, go away!"
But the goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Is still sitting outside
And is waiting for me."
—"The Goblin", PP. 33-35
"The Goblin" is the eeriest, most unsettling selection from this book, and the illustrations account for a lot of that. The kid feels pursued by the goblin without the horned creature moving an inch from its perch in the tree outside his window. The kid rebuffs the goblin's soft-spoken invitation to come out and play, but the beast just sits and stares in response, waiting. Goblins will wait as long as necessary to catch us if we wander outside without regard for the danger they pose, and this poem reminds us of that. It's a highly effective piece. "...or Treat" isn't a direct continuation of "Trick...", the poem before "The Goblin". It's a goodnatured verse about trick-or-treating door-to-door, promising to pull pranks if the people inside don't come through with candy. All in good fun. "Bobbing for Apples" frames a kid's frustrating lack of success in the title game, even as the kid's sister has no problem fishing an apple out of the water using only her teeth. It is a challenging game, and some take to it better than others. "Haunted House" is another atmospheric poem, about a house on a hill that every kid knows is inhabited by goblins, ghosts, and witches. The monsters congregate inside for their own holiday celebration on October 31, and kids know better to join them if invited. Nothing good happens at a gathering of ghoulish fiends. "Black Cat" shows a stealthy feline pattering around after dark, and a boy who sees it and runs away. He needn't court bad luck by getting too close. "Ghost" is a fun scare shared by a pair of friends, and "Happy Halloween" brings the collection to an end with the same trio from "The Tricksters" as they return home after a night of trick-or-treating, feeling full and satisfied and ready to fall asleep and dream of their happy Halloween. It's a nice final poem.
There are numerous good selections here, but "The Goblin" is best of the lot, a scary little verse with some depth. When a goblin appears at your window and asks you to play, will you agree to its request? Refusal doesn't mean you're safe forever. The monster will always be there waiting if your resolve wavers and you decide to dabble in its forbidden games. Jack Prelutsky is a reliably thoughtful writer, and "The Goblin" is his most intriguing poem in this book. It's Halloween is an entertaining collection that I'd rate two and a half stars, and Prelutsky's fans won't be disappointed. Few do juvenile poetry better than he.
September 3, 2017
This brings back fantastic spooky memories of me as a little snot who loved being scared.
Thirteen poems that are so spooky that you'll wet your pants...... too late!!
Thirteen poems that are so spooky that you'll wet your pants...... too late!!
October 18, 2017
With fun, rhyming text and kid-friendly, colorful illustrations, this book of Halloween poems would be a lot of fun to share with young readers. The book includes poems about pumpkins, trick-or-treating, ghosts, goblins, and witches. But the poems are not too scary for sensitive children. They might even help inspire some seasonal poems among young writers. This book would be great to include in poetry collections in elementary classroom libraries.
October 31, 2021
Jack Prelutsky’s 1977 charming collection of Halloween poems for children, It’s Halloween, is one of my favorite Halloween traditions. When I was a young boy, my mom read it to me at least once, and probably several times before the day of trick-or-treating. As I grew older, I read it at least once myself in October as Halloween approached. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to review this top rated, top shelf, all-time favorite...
To read the rest of this review go to https://drewmartinwrites.wordpress.co...
To read the rest of this review go to https://drewmartinwrites.wordpress.co...
May 26, 2010
I memorized a poem from this book for a competition in 2nd grade. 23 years later I can still recite it. I loved this book as a child and still do as an adult. My siblings and I all fought over who would get my parents' copy only to find out that my Mom wasn't going to part with it. So, I bought my own. Jack Prelutsky speaks to children in a completely magical (and mystical to adults) way. You will love any of his collections.
June 30, 2007
The cover is torn off, the pages are crinkled... some artwork has been added and it's still one of my family's favorite books. It's a great collection of poems for children. If you can't find it... I could probably recite it for you. ;)
October 22, 2012
This is one of my FAVORITE books ever!!!!!! I could not remember what it was called or who wrote it, but I finally found it again! I memorized this book and it came with a tape. I am definitely going to buy this again!!!!!!
March 16, 2015
A delightful collection of poetry and drawings on the joys of halloween - some of which I'm afraid have withered in the more modern era but can be a fun nostalgic romp for the 30 somethings.
November 6, 2023
Author/illustrator team Jack Prelutsky and Marylin Hafner present thirteen Halloween poems in this seasonal early reader. Creating costumes, carving jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating on the big night, bobbing for apples at a party, avoiding the local haunted house—all these and other themes are explored here...
It's Halloween is the second holiday poetry collection I have read from this pair, following upon their It's Thanksgiving (they also worked together on It's Christmas ), and I found it delightful! The poems themselves were entertaining, and read well, capturing the fun and fright of Halloween night and its attendant customs. The artwork had a lovely vintage style, reminding me at times of illustrators like Trina Schart Hyman (high praise indeed!). Recommended to anyone looking for Halloween poetry collections for younger children, perhaps five to eight.
It's Halloween is the second holiday poetry collection I have read from this pair, following upon their It's Thanksgiving (they also worked together on It's Christmas ), and I found it delightful! The poems themselves were entertaining, and read well, capturing the fun and fright of Halloween night and its attendant customs. The artwork had a lovely vintage style, reminding me at times of illustrators like Trina Schart Hyman (high praise indeed!). Recommended to anyone looking for Halloween poetry collections for younger children, perhaps five to eight.
October 7, 2019
My teenage kids were talking nostalgically the other day about the seasonal books they've loved. I kept most of the ones we all truly loved as a family, but I couldn't find this one on our shelves, so I ordered a new copy.
As a family we enjoyed reading these fun Halloween poems aloud. The illustrations are well-done, sweet, and fun as well. Even so many years later, my girls were searching through it to find their favorite parts and illustrations (the goblin in the tree!).
A classic for our shelves.
As a family we enjoyed reading these fun Halloween poems aloud. The illustrations are well-done, sweet, and fun as well. Even so many years later, my girls were searching through it to find their favorite parts and illustrations (the goblin in the tree!).
A classic for our shelves.
October 23, 2025
I used to love checking Prelutsky's poetry books out of the library as a kid in the '80s, and this is a great nostalgic read. The poems are perfect for elementary school-aged readers, and the illustrations are a delight.
It is true, some of the elements are dated (parents might not like the kids who play tricks on the couple who doesn't give them candy, and I don't like associating black cats with bad luck), but overall, this is a fun book that will still provide some spooky fun read-alouds.
It is true, some of the elements are dated (parents might not like the kids who play tricks on the couple who doesn't give them candy, and I don't like associating black cats with bad luck), but overall, this is a fun book that will still provide some spooky fun read-alouds.
October 23, 2019
I prefer these poems when they're Halloween- or spooky-adjacent rather than literally being about something like trick-or-treating. The issue poems don't age up well for an adult reader, but poems like "Countdown" or "The Goblin" age better, stand alone better, and maintain that charming Halloween vibe while also being quietly but sincerely haunting. The accompanying sketchy art and autumnal palette is effective but unremarkable.
October 31, 2019
We had this book on cassette while my kids were growing up. We would listen to it in the car and they would always sing or recite along with the narrators, and with the same voice inflections. My children are now high school and college age. Tonight I asked them if they could think of a fun Halloween book and at the same moment they both began singing “It’s Halloween.” If that’s not a perfect book recommendation, I don’t know what is.
November 6, 2023
A collection of Halloween poems for children written by Jack Prelutsky. Illustrated by Marylin Hafner. I really enjoyed the illustrations of children engaging in Halloween activities and of cute ghosts and goblins. This is a book I would have enjoyed enormously as a child, I really liked the vintage illustrations, the colour palette of orange, yellow and brown works very well for this theme.
Read on Open Library.
Read on Open Library.
January 12, 2022
I happened upon a copy of this in a Little Free Library, and now it's so dog-eared and falling apart that we need to buy a replacement copy. This is an absolute classic on the scale of "The Night Before Christmas." The rhymes are beautifully constructed using language my 1-year old can understand. It's spooky without being scary, and lends an aura of fun and mystery to the holiday.
October 23, 2017
As a child, I loved the themed poetry collections from Jack Prelutsky. The Halloween collection here has 13 fun poems for the holiday. This makes for a great one to have handy for a quick, silly read to a class during the month of October!
October 28, 2018
This is a really fun collection of Halloween poems for kids! This has been one of my favorites so far of Prelutsky’s holiday collections I’ve read and I really love Marilyn Hafner’s artwork. What a great $1 find at a used book sale!
December 28, 2020
Not at all what i was expecting but it was a pleasant surprise. This is basically a book of poems. There is a narrative, but it is poems. They are short, cute, and witty and I know my niece will enjoy reading it to her younger siblings.
October 25, 2022
This was a really cute read! I loved the rhyming scheme and the style of illustrations which seems so unique to picture books from this time period. Halloween is a week away and this definitely got me in the spirit.
November 15, 2025
A dear friend introduced me to It's Halloween, and I can't believe I haven't heard of it until now! The book is a delightful collection of Halloween and autumn-related poems. So fun to read with kiddos during the fall!
June 12, 2019
Favorite children's book ever.
September 11, 2019
Fun rhymes and great artwork from the 1977 paperback version!
October 16, 2019
Cute little poems about Halloween. Is an older book, it’s gotten better with time.
October 25, 2020
I like these Halloween poems c:
October 29, 2020
I bought this at a thrift store. It is mine and my kids favorite halloween book.
November 2, 2020
I think I liked it better than my son remembering reading it in elementary school. Love the 70s vibe
Read
May 6, 2021I remember reading this as a kid, not as impressed with the quality as an adult. I feel there are better kid books out there.
May 18, 2021
Awesome book about the wonders of Halloween. And a tad creepy too!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews