Doing the Halloween Hustle!

We’re settling into our new town, new neighborhood, and new school here in California, after moving here a few months ago. One of the highlights so far was the Walk-a-Thon at the school last night, when kindergartners through fifth graders spent up to four hours making laps around the school’s field to raise money for school activities and educational programs. There were also lots of treats at the event for both the parents and the children, including fun food, great music, and a silent auction.

I’ve decided that next year for the Walk-a-Thon, which is always in October, I’m going to buy a copy of the new picture book Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson and Kevan J. Atteberry to donate to the silent action. It would be the perfect book to tie into the fall season and into the spirit of the Walk-a-Thon -- where so many kids are "hustling" around the field!

In the dark, a funky beat,

Something white with bony feet.

Skeleton dancing up the street,

Doing the Halloween Hustle.

I am madly in love with rhyming picture books, especially upbeat ones that incorporate movement, and Halloween Hustle certainly fits the bill. Skeleton, who has been invited to a “fa-boo-lous” midnight Halloween party at Ghost’s house, is the main character of the book. As he dances up the street, doing the Halloween Hustle, he picks up some friends along the way. Frankenstein, Mummy, Witch, and more join him as they all make their way to Ghost’s house for the party.

But a picture book wouldn’t be a good one without a few mishaps along the way, right? The problem in this book is that the skeleton is having so much fun dancing that he keeps tripping and falling apart!

Skeleton twists his skinny hips.

Shakes his shoulders, skates and skips.

On a crooked crack the trips…

Bones scatter!

What a clatter!

Spine is like a broken ladder!

Luckily Skeleton and his friends are quite resourceful and manage to find different ways to put him back together so he can keep on dancing. Eventually the group makes it to the Halloween bash…just in time for a dance contest!

I’ve read this book aloud to both of my daughters, and it’s a very fun read aloud. Once, when I was reading it to my 6-year-old alone, I asked her what her favorite part of the book was. “It kind of looks like they’re boogying, and I like to boogie!” she said. She’s always loved illustrations, so it didn’t surprise me that she was paying attention to the movement in the art. And there is a lot of it!

What did surprise me is what my daughter said was her favorite part of the Walk-a-Thon last night. After she walked 30 laps around the field with her sister and their friends, ate a huge slice of cheesy pizza, and licked a gigantic lollipop for hours, her favorite part of the night was the 20-minute dance party at the end of the evening!

If you or the kiddos in your life also like to boogie, you’ll want to check out the YouTube video that author Charlotte Gunnufson had made. It shows you how to do the “real” Halloween Hustle she choreographed (I think) to go along with the book. Plus, the song she made up to accompany the dance is super catchy!

What a great party song, right? I can totally see kids, especially the slightly older ones, really get into the moves! If you are really thinking about having a Halloween party -- or even a Halloween-themed story time -- you can find the lyrics to the song, a free MP3 download, and Halloween Hustle coloring pages, crafts, and puzzles here on Charlotte Gunnufson's website. You can also send some Halloween Hustle e-cards here. If you incorporate reading into your party, some other rhyming Halloween picture books you could incorporate are Shake Dem Halloween Bones and both Rattlebone Rock and Boogie Knights.  

The Halloween Hustle has been popular on book blogs this week. If you want to learn even more about the book, see the book trailer, and hear from author Charlotte Gunnufson herself, you can check out these posts on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog, Cynsations, and Watch.Connect.Read. Also, thanks to Amazon Publishing for sending me a review copy of the book!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This post is also part of Poetry Friday, so I thought I'd include a poem my 8-year-old wrote this week. It was inspired by this book for sure!

The Halloween Hurry

I was paying some money

When I saw something yummy

And then I saw a mummy

And I ran away...

Doing the Halloween Hurry!

You can read some more "spook-tacular" poetry over at Writing the World for Kids, where Laura Purdie Salas is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup!