Trick or Treat, Crankenstein

by Samantha Berger, Dan Santat (Illustrator)

Overview

Even the grumpiest kiddos will cheerfully gobble up this the delicious follow-up to Crankenstein and A Crankenstein Valentine!
 
This year, Crankenstein's favorite day of all—Halloween—has gone rotten! Creepy-cool costumes, super-scary jack-o'-lanterns, and loads of candy have been RUINED by costume disasters, pumpkin-carving nightmares, and a terribly untimely toothache! MEHHRRRR!!! Can Halloween be saved, or will today turn into the crankiest Halloween in history's

Samantha Berger's beloved "crankster" character confronts all the wicked tricks and treats of Halloween in this bucket full of laughs, illustrated by bestselling, award-winning artist Dan Santat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316458092
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/17/2021
Series:	Crankenstein , #3
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,008,690
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 12.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Samantha Berger has written many picture books, including Crankenstein and A Crankenstein Valentine, What If...,and Rock What Ya Got. She is a three-time Emmy-nominated television writer and former editorial director and vice president of animated shorts for Nickelodeon. When she isn't writing, she's doing voice-overs and helping rescue dogs. Samantha lives in sunny California, and she invites you to visit her at samanthaberger.com.


Dan Santat is the Caldecott Medal-winning and New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, Are We there Yet?, and After the Fall. He has also illustrated many other picture books, including Crankenstein and A Crankenstein Valentine by Samantha Berger, as well as Lift and Drawn Together by Minh Lê. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and various pets, and he invites you to visit him online at dantat.com.

Editorial Reviews

07/26/2021

This series’ winning formula of visual comedy blended with deep-seated empathy scores another bull’s-eye. White-skinned kid monster Crankenstein, who turns green when he’s cranky, has a favorite day of the year, and it “rhymes with Schmalloween.” But what occurs this year is “NOT what Crankenstein had in mind.” As he wakes up with a toothache, his little brother laughs at his homemade costume and swipes his candy, and he trick-or-treats at a house that gives out toothbrushes, the character’s signature “Mehhrrrr!” is accompanied by plenty of grouchy grimaces. As in Berger and Santat’s previous collaborations, the day is redeemed when Crankenstein realizes he’s not alone: friends surprise him at his house wearing Crankenstein masks, a sight so endearing and funny that his crankiness vanishes. Whether readers get grumpy because of rained-out trick-or-treating or an adult who makes them wear a coat over their costume, they should find plenty of comfort and laughs here. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for A Crankenstein Valentine:
"A humorous story.... My 5-year-old has me reading this book to her again and again."—New York Times

Praise for Crankenstein:
"Expect many re-read requests from Crankensteins who may (or may not) recognize themselves."—Publishers Weekly

"Will the creature ever turn from "MEHHRRRR!" to merry? Youngsters will roar along with Crankenstein through this silly and sympathetic story of grumpy-grouchies."—School Library Journal

"Whoa. Be prepared for the intense frustrations, the moody outbursts and the green scowls of Crankenstein.... Each setting reveals sly comic elements that both kids and their grown-ups will appreciate. Readers will laugh out loud.... Get ready to read this aloud a lot."—Kirkus Reviews

"Caldecott winner Dan Santat's illustrations are hilarious, expressive, slightly gross, and absolutely delightful."—Charlotte Parent

“Crankenstein’s crankiness remains relatable [and] even endearing, and the busy full-page digital paintings let it all hang out in a panoply of Halloween motifs.”—Horn Book

From the Publisher

09/01/2021

PreS-Gr 3—It's Halloween, Crankenstein's favorite day of the year! But everything goes wrong. He gets a toothache, his brother laughs at his costume, it rains (and his costume isn't waterproof), he gets lost in a corn maze, his pumpkin carving goes awry, someone else has the same costume as him (but better, of course), and, worst of all, he ends up trick-or-treating at the house that hands out toothbrushes! Poor Crankenstein. Just as he seems most defeated, the doorbell rings. It is someone dressed up as—him! As he finally laughs, he transforms into a human boy. As more friends dressed as Crankenstein show up and they have a party, Crankenstein realizes that the day isn't so bad after all. Santat's bright, bold illustrations add luxurious detail to the story and bring the characters to life. Berger's tale is humorous and complex, and Crankenstein's human identity is masterfully cloaked until the moment of his transformation. The silly candy on the end papers are also sure to delight. VERDICT This story about high expectations dashed by disaster that everyone can relate to. Recommended for all collections.—Katie Patterson, Aloha Community Lib., OR

School Library Journal