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Spook
A little dog belongs to a witch, until the Halloween night he falls off her broomstick and meets a little boy with magic powers of affection
110 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 8, 2025
Little known literary equivalent of paging through a catalogue of vintage Halloween ephemera.
Authentically charming with just enough ghoulish creepiness to maintain an edge over cutesy fluff.
A witch allergic to cats has to resort to recruiting a small, black dog named Spook as her familiar. Mocked by the other cackling, contemptuous crones in her coven, she vows to create a legendary amount of mischief on Halloween night, but as she sets out, Spook slips his clumsy paws off her broomstick and pinwheels into a family’s backyard rain barrel as they’re bobbing for apples before trick-or-treating.
A search ensues and a brave young devil hitches a ride with the witch after she steals back her familiar ‘property,’ back to the coven’s cave. After debating simmering the boy in broth for an hour and tossing him in the brew, as was customary for them, the Head Witch proposes a contest for possession of the pup. Evil spells or the touch of loving innocence.
With so much Halloween scenery to chew, and opportunities for plenty of scares and laughs, I would love a faithful movie adaptation of this to include in the seasonal family tradition. The time is pumpkin-ripe for a new, nostalgic classic.
Authentically charming with just enough ghoulish creepiness to maintain an edge over cutesy fluff.
A witch allergic to cats has to resort to recruiting a small, black dog named Spook as her familiar. Mocked by the other cackling, contemptuous crones in her coven, she vows to create a legendary amount of mischief on Halloween night, but as she sets out, Spook slips his clumsy paws off her broomstick and pinwheels into a family’s backyard rain barrel as they’re bobbing for apples before trick-or-treating.
A search ensues and a brave young devil hitches a ride with the witch after she steals back her familiar ‘property,’ back to the coven’s cave. After debating simmering the boy in broth for an hour and tossing him in the brew, as was customary for them, the Head Witch proposes a contest for possession of the pup. Evil spells or the touch of loving innocence.
With so much Halloween scenery to chew, and opportunities for plenty of scares and laughs, I would love a faithful movie adaptation of this to include in the seasonal family tradition. The time is pumpkin-ripe for a new, nostalgic classic.
November 7, 2020
Spook was a deeply unhappy little dog, forced to be the familiar to Grimalda, a nasty witch who rarely fed him, and had no kindness to offer him. Then one Halloween night he fell from her broom and found himself taken in by a little human boy named Jamie, experiencing affection for the first time in his life. When Grimalda hunts Spook down and makes off with him, Jamie hitches a ride on her broomstick, determined to keep the dog he has come to love. With the Head Witch officiating, Grimalda and Jamie have a magical contest to determine who will keep Spook. But what sort of magic does Jamie possess...?
Published in 1965, Spook is a fairly unusual story, when it comes to witchy tales of this sort. I have read a number of books where the witch's cat doesn't wish to be a familiar - Ursula Moray William's classic novel, Gobbolino The Witch's Cat , as well as Natalie Savage Carlson's Spooky Night picture-books, spring to mind in this respect - but this is the first I have encountered where the reluctant familiar is a dog. The story here is engaging, with just enough thrills to keep the young readers enthralled, and a happy, heartwarming ending. The accompanying artwork from Suzanne Kesteloo Larsen accentuates the spookiness of Jane Little's tale, and adds to the reading pleasure. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers looking for fun, witchy stories for Halloween.
Published in 1965, Spook is a fairly unusual story, when it comes to witchy tales of this sort. I have read a number of books where the witch's cat doesn't wish to be a familiar - Ursula Moray William's classic novel, Gobbolino The Witch's Cat , as well as Natalie Savage Carlson's Spooky Night picture-books, spring to mind in this respect - but this is the first I have encountered where the reluctant familiar is a dog. The story here is engaging, with just enough thrills to keep the young readers enthralled, and a happy, heartwarming ending. The accompanying artwork from Suzanne Kesteloo Larsen accentuates the spookiness of Jane Little's tale, and adds to the reading pleasure. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers looking for fun, witchy stories for Halloween.
October 11, 2025
A really unique Halloween story about a witch who is allergic to cats and has a little black dog instead. She treats him badly and Spook, the little dog, is able to get away to find himself a new friend.
I enjoyed the writing style, the story itself and, especially, the wonderfully spooky black and white illustrations. I found this slim paperback book at an antique store and it was totally worth it. I'll be adding this to my Halloween re-reads for each year!
I enjoyed the writing style, the story itself and, especially, the wonderfully spooky black and white illustrations. I found this slim paperback book at an antique store and it was totally worth it. I'll be adding this to my Halloween re-reads for each year!
October 23, 2018
Such a delight! And now I want a little black dog..
November 13, 2012
The story is very fast-paced, and Jamie’s response to his final challenge still seems as clever as it did when I first read the book. The villains are scary enough without being too frightening for young children, and Larsen’s illustrations of the scowling, Grinch-like witches are both spooky and funny.
Little’s descriptions – wind that “skirl[s] like bagpipes” and a witch’s voice that sounds “like the slow grating of chains across a gravel path” – add to the eerie tone.
Other than a few exposition-heavy passages, the dialogue is believable and the descriptions create vivid, tangible scenes.
More at Postcards from La-La Land
Little’s descriptions – wind that “skirl[s] like bagpipes” and a witch’s voice that sounds “like the slow grating of chains across a gravel path” – add to the eerie tone.
Other than a few exposition-heavy passages, the dialogue is believable and the descriptions create vivid, tangible scenes.
More at Postcards from La-La Land
September 19, 2008
hardback was destroyed in the flood. DESPERATELY want to replace this!!!!
August 4, 2013
As a young kid in the 70's, was my one of my fav's
October 26, 2014
Good blend of gripping suspense and sweetness. After I read it, I thought, "This is the Halloween story I was hoping to find."
September 16, 2018
This is such an adorable book! My boyfriend told me it was one of the first *actual books* he ever read, and I love anything even remotely related to Halloween, so I just started reading it one day when I saw it hanging around at home. It’s so sweet. Grimalda is a “mean, scary” witch without actually being an animal abuser toward little Spook. She’s just butthurt cuz she’s allergic to cats. The Head Witch is a fun character, and I love how snobby the cat familiars were when little Spook the dog accompanied Grimalda to the meeting. A child’s reading level, but a story fun for adults too :) helped to get me even more in the mood for autumn to come!
January 13, 2025
An original Halloween story about an unhappy dog who is the familiar to a witch (with cat allergies). This book is a delight. The language was good and the story was a hoot. The final duel between boy and witch for the possession of the dog is really fun.
February 20, 2019
A cute little Halloween story about a witch whose familiar is a dog -- until a little boy loves him enough to save him from her mischief.
November 8, 2019
I love your book i use to read it when i was 7 now i'm 15 years old and i still like it
December 14, 2019
Cute read about a dog and his rightful owner. Perfect for Halloween time.
October 12, 2020
Loved it as a kid.
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August 17, 20231974 I read it though
November 1, 2023
A sweet, "scary" book written in a more innocent time.
May 18, 2024
I loved this story as a child
August 24, 2024
I loved this book as a child and because of this it remains in my library as an adult
October 21, 2025
Cute, easy, nostalgic Halloween read!
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November 12, 2015Really cute little book about a little dog named Spook. Honestly, I think this is where my love for little dogs came from, and it always brings back memories for me to look at this book. My sister used to LOVE this book, I think it was one of the first chapter books that we ever read. It's got a standard negative view of witches, and now that I am older I feel that maybe that is played up a bit too much, and it might be nice to read about a good witch, but I bet there are a lot more good witch books out today than there were when I was a child. It has a pretty fantastic view of the power of love though, and even if it is a bit corny looking back on it, it still makes me smile. I like that we get to hear was Spook is thinking, I think it makes us really love him as a character and not just as a dog. Honestly, this is a really good beginners chapter book, and a good pick if it is getting close to Halloween.
January 9, 2015
I remember the thrill of seeing a small stack of books waiting for me at my school desk: the Scholastic Book order had arrived! Spook is one of those Scholastic books, one of the first books I remember reading, and still sits on my bookshelves. A tale with a little Halloween (and some scary witches), a little dog, and a little boy, is ultimately a story about the magic power of love.
May 20, 2016
I thought I had read this as a child because the cover looked familiar, but the story was brand-new to me. It's written with great humor and the illustrations by Suzanne Kesteloo Larsen are deliciously hideous.
November 4, 2021
This was my absolute favourite book as a child. I would sell my first born child to own a copy again to read to my youngest two :p
August 13, 2015
Not my favorite book that we picked up at the library sale for a quarter, but not the worst one either.
It's all about a witch with a dog instead of a cat and their Halloween night adventures.
It's all about a witch with a dog instead of a cat and their Halloween night adventures.
Read
April 24, 2024The wee beastie enjoyed this one! Reminds me a little of 'Gobbolino, The Witch's Cat'
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews