Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books

by Barry Timms, Laura Borio (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Celebrating the magic of books, this vibrant Halloween-themed story is full of all the colors, characters and visuals that make the holiday special.

When a young boy named Henry steps into Griselda Snook's Halloween-themed bookstore, he's certain that he won't find a book that's just right for him--or will he?

When Henry finds a key on the sidewalk and gives it to its owner, he follows her into a huge bookstore. Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books, which features a vast array of Halloween-themed books and caters especially to Halloween characters, has books for every interest. Despite the variety in choices, Henry isn't convinced that he'll find anything for himself. Could a guest reader at the store, Magenta Screech, have the perfect book for Henry?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781664390133
Publisher:	Tiger Tales.
Publication date:	07/02/2024
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	32 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Barry Timms likes the way that stories bring people together. He can often be found with pencil in hand, writing or drawing or both. He loves road movies, ghost trains, and exploring forgotten side streets.

Laura Borio used to draw on the kitchen walls as a child, to the delight of her parents. Once she realized that she liked drawing on paper more, she decided to become a children's book illustrator and now her days are filled with sketches, colors, cats, and raspberry jam croissants.

Editorial Reviews

06/17/2024

“I’m not really into books,” says Timms’s protagonist, Henry, but the boy changes his tune when by happenstance he’s drafted as assistant to shop owner Griselda Snook, and helps out at her Halloween-themed bookstore. On its opening day, predominantly orange books tower in piles “like stalagmites” and cobwebs abound. Borio’s peppy cartooned illustrations portray the bookshop as an inclusive gathering place for book lovers of all ages, where Frankenstein’s monster can leave carrying a book entitled Dead Funny Jokes and storytime stars a famous witch. With Henry’s help, the day proves magical by every measure—even turning Henry himself into a confirmed bibliophile. Griselda is right: “Pick the perfect book and the whole world opens wide!” Both Henry and Griselda have brown skin; background characters are shown with various abilities and skin tones. Ages 3–7. (July)

Publishers Weekly

04/19/2024

PreS-Gr 2—"Imagine finding the key to the best day ever" opens this cheerful story of Halloween fun. Reluctant reader Henry's chance encounter with the whimsical, Dickensian-named Griselda Snook leads him to a marvelous bookstore where, alongside a bevy of monstrous guests including werewolves, mummies, and vampires, he discovers the magic of stories. Unfortunately, Timms himself does not succeed at tapping this vein of magic. While parents and teachers may be enticed by the surface trappings of Halloween, the book contains no particularly deep connection to the holiday. Borio's cheery cartoon illustrations, featuring mostly grayscale environments populated with bright oranges, purples, greens, and browns, sprinkle in seasonal decorations aplenty: bats, spiders, skulls, jack-o'-lanterns. However, save for a brief spooky story time with the delightfully extravagant grande dame Magenta Screech, the real essence of the tradition—eeriness, mischief, shivers of excitement—is missing. The Halloween setting could lift right out of the book and leave the story with its central theme of the power of reading perfectly intact. Moreover, the plot is thin, with problems solved immediately or brushed aside, little in the way of narrative stakes, and a pat conclusion. VERDICT While the message celebrating reading is commendable, the execution is unsatisfying.—Jonah Dragan

School Library Journal