Spooktober with DK Canada!

It's only two weeks 'til Hallowe'en! DK Canada has some great books picked out for you in their Spooktober Boutique to get in the spirit of things. (yes, pun intended!)

Little Guy and Wee Girl have been enjoying Hallowe'en stories for a few weeks now. And they loved these two great books.....

Creak! Squeak! Halloween was first up. This is a lift the flap book -with sound! That sound feature is activated by a switch on the back. (Batteries are secured by a screw and are replaceable)

We always enjoy first  looking at the cover of a booking and imagining what might be inside. No prompting needed - they guessed Hallowe'en right off the bat. (Yes, another intended pun!)

And the first page spread confirmed that guess with pumpkins everywhere. The left side of the page spread has a rhyming paragraph that reads really nicely. And on the right hand side is the question... "Who else is trying not to be seen?" Little Guy likes to guess, Wee Girl wants to lift the flap right away. They were both surprised by the sound as I hadn't mentioned that feature when we started reading. Well, they both had to do it numerous times before we could turn the page. There are five page spreads in total that continue this format. And most importantly, the images under the flaps are not 'scary' looking  at all - in fact they have very friendly faces. And on reaching the end? Back to the beginning to do it all again. Thumbs up from Gramma, Little Guy and Wee Girl!

I hadn't mentioned that I had a second book to read - Haunted House. This time they were looking for the sounds! We stopped and looked at the cover first. A friendly looking witch is in the window. And Little Guy discovered that the front door slides open - to reveal another occupant - with sounds!

Again, there is a four line rhyming verse that has the reader who and what might be under the flap. The words 'they're okay/fine and having fun' are repeated with every flap page. There are five double page spreads. The first two pics under the flaps are a little bit scary LIttle Guy thought. The first one is a monster under a trap door. The image has sharp teeth and the laughing is a bit maniacal. Little Guy found these to be a 'little bit scary Gramma.' The other images were okay and the friendly witch on the cover appears on the last page. Subsequent readings made the images and sounds more familiar. Just that first read through of the unknown and unexpected gave him some pause.

The colours used are bright and draw the reader to the book. The pages are made of sturdy card stock and will take some 'stronger' page turning. The page flaps make for interactive reading. And the sounds add another layer. They'll be fun to pull out every season.

Gramma thinks books like this are clever and just plain fun to read. And so did Grampa! (Remember to turn the battery off when not in use!)

The Deal of a Lifetime - Fredrik Backman

Next up on the holiday reading/listening list is The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman.

I really enjoy Backman's writing - his 'left of centre' characters and the situations he places them in.

In this novella, the lead character is a man who was driven all his life to succeed and excel at business. Where he failed was as a father. He narrates this tale, finally acknowledging his absence and shortcomings to his son. A chance meeting with a dying little girl gives him a chance at redemption. I'm not going to spoil things by telling you how that comes about. It's not quite what you would imagine at all.

"Hi. It's your dad. You'll be waking up soon, it's Christmas Eve morning in Helsingborg, and I've killed a person. That's not how fairy tales usually begin, I know. But I took a life. Does it make a difference if you know whose it was?"

Backman's writing always moves me. And he's able to do the same thing that he's done in his books as in this 'small' piece of work. I chose to listen to The Deal of a Lifetime. The reader was Santino Fontana. His voice is clear and he enunciates well. His voice suited the mental image I had of this businessman and his regrets. He provides believable voices for the other two characters in the book. He interprets the emotion of the story well. The Deal of a Lifetime was a short, sweet listen, perfect for this ruminative time of the year. The reader can't help but reflect upon their own life - what and who is important in your life? And what would you do to 'fix' things?

The title is clever - as you'll find out. Backman's introduction is just as poignant as the tale he tells. Listen to an excerpt of The Deal of a Lifetime.