I Got the Spooky Spirit

by Connie Schofield-Morrison, Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

Overview

It's spooky season! Award-winning creators Frank Morrison and Connie Schofield-Morrison celebrate Halloween with their delightful series.

It's October, and that means it's time to carve pumpkins, hang up spooky decorations, and host a big ghosty dance party!

This girl hears the spooky spirit howling in the windy, misty gloom--SWOOM, SWOOP, SWOOSH! She dances with other ghouls and goblins--MONSTER MASH! She trades candy with her new spooky friend--CRACKLE CRUNCH!

Halloween may only be one night, but she knows the spooky spirit will be back next year.

In this exciting addition to the series including I Got the Rhythm, I Got the Christmas Spirit, and I Got the School Spirit, readers can explore the traditions of another fun holiday!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547607006
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	07/23/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	85 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Connie Schofield-Morrison captured the rhythm of the neighborhood in her first picture book, I Got the Rhythm, and again in I Got the Christmas Spirit and I Got the School Spirit. She is also the author of the picture book biography Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom. Connie has been writing since she was a young girl and is inspired every day by the big sounds and bright colors of the world around her. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
@i_c_o_n_n_i_e (Instagram)

Frank Morrison works as a fine artist and is the award-winning illustrator of many books for children, including the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award-winning titles Standing in the Need of Prayer and RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. Frank also wrote and illustrated Kick Push. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
https://morrisongraphics.com
@frankmorrison (Instagram)
FRANK MORRISON is a renowned fine artist whose work was featured in Our Children Can Soar. He has lent his talents to many picture books, including Alex Rodriguez's Out of the Ballpark, Queen Latifah's Queen of the Scene, and Brenda Roberts' Jazzy Miz Mozetta, for which he won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent. He lives in Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

Festive, spine-tingling fun.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Vibrant. . . If a school pep rally could walk and talk, this kid would be it.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on I GOT THE SCHOOL SPIRIT

“The electric hues, constant motion, and winning smiles that fill Morrison's oil paintings enhance the boundless vitality of this sensory celebration of school.” —Publishers Weekly on I GOT THE SCHOOL SPIRIT

“Christmas spirit is expressed in joyous and reflective onomatopoeic exclamations in this new holiday staple. . . . Soul-stirring and sure to put readers in a festive mood.” —Kirkus Reviews on I GOT THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

“The driving beat of debut author Schofield-Morrison's narrative is likely to have readers bouncing and tapping right along with her. . . . An upbeat celebration of the senses, self-expression, and camaraderie.” —Publishers Weekly on I GOT THE RHYTHM

“The bright palette and vibrant tones of Morrison's loosely painted illustrations echo the energy of the text nicely . . . the book begs readers to sing and move along with this little dancer.” —Booklist on I GOT THE RHYTHM

From the Publisher

06/01/2024

PreS-Gr 1—Following up on earlier collaborations, including I Got the Christmas Spirit and I Got the School Spirit, the author and illustrator team present another entertainingly rhythmic story that invites listener participation. In an urban setting, a young Black girl eagerly prepares for Halloween. As leaves fall and pumpkins appear on the streets, the girl chooses a pumpkin so large that the illustration spills outside of the page. She then sets to work, carving it into a jack-o'-lantern. Decorating the house, making spooky treats, and, of course, planning the perfect costume are all part of the preparations. Rhymes keep the text moving along briskly, with accent phrases such as "A-ha!" "Ooey Gooey," and "Jeepers Creepers!" added into each illustration for emphasis. The big night finally arrives, and costumed friends and family enjoy trick-or-treating and gathering for a lively party. The spooky spirit keeps everyone going, then fades as the night ends. By that time, the illustrations have taken on a darker, but never frightening, tone—even as the girl who had dressed as a vampire confronts what might be a real bat! VERDICT This festive frolic is perfect for a younger audience who like the idea of scary more than they want actual scares.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst

School Library Journal

2024-04-20
Following I Got the Rhythm (2014), I Got the Christmas Spirit (2018), and I Got the School Spirit (2020), this husband-and-wife team keep the soulful vibes going with an ode to Halloween.

“I got the spooky spirit,” declares the young Black protagonist, hair in Afro puffs. The child whips up “a bubbling batch of brew,” decorates the house, dons a frightening costume (“complete with “BOO-licious face, FANG-tastic teeth, and witchy purple hair”), goes trick-or-treating, and bobs for apples and cuts loose at a Halloween party before going home…to eagerly anticipate the return of spooky season. This rollicking picture book features rhythmic, alliterative text that speaks to the senses. Setting the mood from the start, “a cool breeze blows crunchy leaves to the ground,” while “globs of stringy guts fall to the ground” as the child carves a pumpkin. Morrison’s signature oil paintings serve up all the exuberance, movement, and color that his fans have come to expect from his work. Making wonderful use of perspective, his detailed scenes each tell a story as younger siblings dart by in the background and trick-or-treaters stride by, decked out in their finest. Characters are racially diverse.

Festive, spine-tingling fun. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews