Babar and the Scary Day, text by Ellen Weiss, characters by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff

Synopsis: Pom and Isabelle can't figure out what the spooky noise coming from the attic is. It's a creepy, eerie, THUMP-drag, THUMP-drag-rattle. There's only one conclusion: it's a monster! Soon all of Babar's children are fleeing from the sound, only to soon realize that the monster is really Babar, dragging out the recyclables! This is a fun book not just for Halloween but year round, as an introduction for preschoolers to the legendary Babar.

Activity: Chat with kids about superheroes and monsters. Kids given sheet of speech bubbles and onomatopoeia. Kids read the "sounds" and discuss what things make those sounds. Turn an A4 sheet of paper into a 4-page comic book. Write and illustrate a superhero comic or other story, adding cut out speech bubbles and sounds.

Fish is Fish, by Leo Lionni

Synopsis: A modern fable of a minnow who wants to follow his tadpole friend - who becomes a frog - onto land.

Activity: Pictionary

Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs, by Tomie dePaola

Synopsis: This autobiographical picture book was one of the first to introduce very young children to the concept of death. Although dePaola's book is a nostalgic tribute to his own family, its theme - that not only people but our love for them survives in our memories - is universally true and important.

Activity: Make and write a card for a family member/ loved one.