Lots of us enjoy Halloween

With a lighter touch

We like a good ghost story

Just as long as the ghosts are not too scary

In fact the friendlier the ghosts are the better

These four books are beautiful

And the ghosts are just gorgeous

Perfect for even the littlest trick or treaters

Just BOO-tiful!

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I love Gustavo the shy ghost. I totally and utterly understand him, desperate to make friends but no idea how to start. Wanting to be part of the crowd but not sure how to find his place. Feeling completely unseen even when he is in plain sight. I think many adults and children can empathise with Gustavo and that is what makes this such a rich, special and endearing book. Gustavo is a very very shy ghost. More than anything he wants to make a friend. He enjoys doing all the normal paranormal things and he loves playing his violin. Gustavo longs to be with the other monsters. He knows that he has to be brave and be seen. He invites all the other monsters to a violin concert at the Day of the Dead party next full moon at the cemetery. My heart hurt for Gustavo when it seemed no one had come to hear him play. My heart soared when he plays for himself and the music makes him so so happy. A reminder that no matter what we should always be true to ourselves. As he plays the other monsters arrive and they are in awe of their new friend. Together they all enjoy a wonderful Day of the Dead party and for us as readers, we are left with a happy heart and perhaps a little tear in our eye. A beautiful book about friendship and kindness and courage and being accepted and accepting others just as they are. So many positive messages from this stunningly illustrated book and a fabulous way to introduce the Mexican Day of the Dead to younger readers. I think perhaps Gustavo wins Halloween this year x @walkerbooksuk @bigpicturebooks #gustavotheshyghost #halloweenbookstagram

A post shared by Jennie Bookish Play & Learning (@edspire) on Oct 28, 2020 at 12:47pm PDT

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We are head over heels in love with How To Make Friends With A Ghost. This whimsical tale is a guide book for befriending a ghost for life … and beyond. If you are good and kind a ghost may find you and follow you and be your forever friend. Ghosts are sensitive and shy. They love waking in the woods, collecting nature’s treasures and eating ALL the snacks. They love fireside stories and funny jokes. They love dancing, baths and sleeping in a dark damp corner adorned with spiders’ webs. If you look after your ghost, your ghost will look after you. They will not grow old as you grow old so they will read for you and remember for you. They will wait for you and be with you forever. This is such a gorgeous book about friendship and how to be a good friend. The beautiful illustrations and diagrams bring this ghost guide book to life. By the end of the story we all wanted to be the best versions of ourselves we can possibly be so that a ghost might find us and befriend us. A lovely non spooky story for Halloween with lots of positive messages about friendships and caring for each other. The pictures really are adorable and we have all fallen in love with the little rosy cheeked ghost. We are certain that you will too x @andersenpress @tundrabooks @rebeccagreenillustration #howtomakefriendswithaghost

A post shared by Jennie Bookish Play & Learning (@edspire) on Oct 28, 2020 at 2:47am PDT

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Can you spot our friendly ghost hiding around our home? After reading the beautiful How To Make Friends With A Ghost we printed off some activities from @andersenpress We thought about what a ghost might be mistaken for, what food a ghost could be mistaken for, how we would introduce ourselves if we were found by a friendly ghost and where a ghost might hide in our home. The children absolutely loved hiding and seeking their rosy cheeked ghosts and writing out what they would say if they met a friendly ghost. These activities are free to print from the Andersen Press website and we highly recommend them for some non spooky Halloween fun. @rebeccagreenillustration @tundrabooks #howtomakefriendswithaghost #halloweenathome #halloweenfun #homelearningfun #readalongplayalong #bookishplay #bookplay #bookbasedplay #ourbookplay #bookinspiredplay #bookishwaytoplay #thebookishwaytoplay #thebookishwayweplay #picturebookplay #welovehalloweenplay #halloweenbookishplay #homeeducation #edspirereads #edspireplays

A post shared by Jennie Bookish Play & Learning (@edspire) on Oct 28, 2020 at 6:22am PDT

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We have fallen in love with a little ghost. The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt. This little ghost is special. This little ghost is different from the others. Unlike his lighter friends and family this little ghost, who is a quilt, cannot whirl or twirl and he gets hot when he flies. This little ghost is from a family of sheets and does not know why he is a quilt. He does not like being different. His mum tries to help by telling him about ancestors who had also been different and special. Nothing made the little ghost feel happier. But there was one day that always cheered the little ghost up, Halloween! Too heavy to hover the little quilt ghost decided to be brave and fold himself over a chair on the porch ready to watch the trick or treaters. The little ghost is picked up by a mummy and wrapped around her little girl. The little ghost was keeping the cold little girl warm … all the way home! The little ghost has to be very brave. The little ghost likes being helpful. When the family sleep the little ghost flies up the chimney and out. His friends and family are waiting for him. Amazed by his courage them want to hear everything about his adventure. The little ghost realised that being different is not so bad after all. Good things can happen because you are different. Good things can happen if you are brave. It is good to be different. This is a wonderful story to show that we are all different and that we should always be kind. The story is beautifully written and the illustrations are stunning. Black and white apart from the slightest hints of blue and orange and pink. This is a very special book. Set to be a Halloween classic for years to come and perfect for little readers who prefer a non spooky Halloween x @tundrabooks @rielnason #halloweenbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebooksofinstagram #childrensbooksofinstagram #kidsbooksofinstagram #booksforhalloween #kidlit #childrensliteracy #childrensliterature #celebratingdifference #thelittleghostwhowasaquilt #edspirereads #ghoststories #halloweenbookstagram #halloweenbooksforkids #halloweenstories #booksaremagic #littlereaders #raisingreaders

A post shared by Jennie Bookish Play & Learning (@edspire) on Oct 20, 2020 at 5:16am PDT

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I love this book!! It is perfect I’d like us you prefer a non scary Halloween. The deep pumpkin orange and black palette make this a striking book that children gravitate to. Edie is forever taking this from the shelf for us to read together. I absolutely adore the illustrations by Kazuno Kohara. They remind me of my childhood and the books I used to read. This gorgeous book introduces lots of the images of Halloween to young children in a fun and friendly way. The little girl lives in a splendid house that she discovers is haunted. It was okay though because was not an ordinary girl … she was a witch! The haunted house is filled with ghosts but the little witch knows hair what to do. She collects all the ghosts together and outs them all in the washing machine. She then uses the ghosts to turn the haunted house into her home. Can you think of the kinds of things she might use the ghosts for? What could you do with a sheer sheet of a ghost? A haunted Halloween story full of joy with a happy ever after ending. Perfect! #halloweenbooks #ghoststory #halloweenbooksforkids #halloweenbooksforchildren #halloweenbooksforpreschool #halloweenbooksfortoddlers #kazunokohara #thehauntedhouse #ghostsinthehouse @macmillankidsuk #welovehalloweenbooks #halloweenstories #childrensbooks #childrensbooksofinstagram #kidsbookswelove #kidsbooksofinstagram #edspirereads #littlereaders #littlebookworms #readingismagic #booksaremagic #bookstagrammer #kidsbookstagrammer #booksforkids #booksforchildren

A post shared by Jennie Bookish Play & Learning (@edspire) on Oct 17, 2020 at 11:59pm PDT

Do have a favourite non spooky Halloween story?

We would love to know x