JUST SAY BOO!

Illustrated by Jed Henry
HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780062010292

If the ghosts in the trees
wibble-wobble your knees,
what do you say?

BOO!

If a yip and a yowl
make you shiver and scowl,
what do you say?

BOO!

But what do you do if three dinosaurs make your baby brother cry? Lighthearted verse and a call-and-response text help the youngest trick-or-treaters scare off the rattling bones and ghostly groans of the Halloween season.

Praise for JUST SAY BOO!

School Library Journal

"Touches of humor abound, keeping the story light and nonthreatening. The simple text will make this an interactive choice for fall sharing. Useful for libraries that are always in need of new Halloween titles." —Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Half Hollow Hills Community Library, Dix Hills, NY


Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"There’s a comforting warmth underlying Hood’s rhymes, and Henry’s copper and silver palette gives the story a note of timelessness."

Booklist

"The simple but multilayered text echoes traditions of the holiday (trick-or-treating), teaches manners (saying thank you), and shows what to do with a scared, teary toddler: "Teach him to just say BOO!" Natural rhymes and use of alliteration ("If the wind whirls and whines as it whips through the pines") and strong images ("wet, shriveled leaves") make this picture book a valuable introduction to poetic elements. Illustrated with an appropriate palette of fall colors, the book rises above much of the Halloween fare, inviting interaction from young listeners.
—Patricia Austin


Watch. Connect. Read.

"...crisp and fun to read aloud. ...the perfect picture book for teaching word choice and sensory details." —Mr. Schu 

See my interview with Mr. Schu here.

Bookpage

"NEVER FEAR! Another comforting book is Susan Hood’s Just Say BOO!, which is sure to be a read-aloud hit.... Fun and fear go hand in hand on this creepy holiday, and Just Say BOO! will help youngsters navigate that wobbly tightrope between the two. ...gives little ones the ammunition they need to conquer their jitters in a boisterous, humorous manner." —Alice Cary

Just Say Boo Activities and Games