Dad's Bookshelf: October 2023
I hope your October is going very well, friends! And I hope you’re as excited as I am about the approaching best holiday ever. We’ve already released our picks for the best new Halloween books of the year, but that doesn’t mean we’re entirely done talking about creepy books.
Dad’s Bookshelf for October does feature one spooky book that was released a few years ago, but still deserves an opportunity to be highlighted. It’s called The House of Madame M, and it’s definitely one to track down if you enjoy haunted houses and beautiful art.
The other books we’re showing off this time around are brand new - including one by our very favorite picture book making duo, and one by one of our very favorite publishers. We’re even dipping our toes into this year’s Christmas books already. I know it’s early, but it’s already been released - and it could very well be the best holiday book of the year.
I hope you were able to track down some of the new spooky books we suggested for this October - and I also hope that long list of great new books hasn’t burnt you out on book hunting for the month! Because the 3 picture books we have in store for you today are definitely worth another bonus trip to the library or your local bookstore!
Happy October reading - and Happy Almost Halloween!
Dad’s Bookshelf is a continuing, monthly series featuring the kids books we are most excited about each month. The series is named after the real life bookshelf we have in our home, where I keep all of my favorite picture books of all time. While the books we share on Dad’s Bookshelf are often brand new releases, it’s also not uncommon for us to be excited about an older book we just discovered or rediscovered.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links that will lead you to view the books on Bookshop.org and Amazon. Some of the books in this article were provided to us by the publishers.
The House of Madame M
Written and Illustrated by Clotilde Perrin
Clotilde Perrin has crafted several beautiful and creepy books at this point, and it’s well worth tracking down every single one of them. We’re big fans of Inside the Villains, Gotcha!, and, of course, The House of Madame M.
It’s a wonderful book for the Halloween season, but it honestly works well all year long. I personally grew up loving several spooky-themed popup books that feel very retro nowadays - so this book brings up a lot of nostalgia for me too even though it came out just a few years ago.
It’s full of popups and pull tabs and surprising little trinkets attached to strings. It’s very interactive and full of incredible detail - so it’s really just a joy to explore with kids. Plus it’s full of ghosts and skeletons and monsters, so it’s basically just about everything you could want in a book. They simply don’t make many books like this one. It’s a real spooky treasure.
Good Morning, My Deer!
Written by Mel Amon and Illustrated by Sophie Beer
Scribble has done it again, publishing a truly delightful book featuring the adorable art of Sophie Beer. Mel Amon has crafted a very funny book full of homophones. I honestly didn’t know what was in store for me with Good Morning, My Deer!, but I’m glad I went into it blind.
I was pleasantly surprised when I realized what was going on with this book. Every single page features homophones that change the meaning of basic narration to something entirely unexpected. A couple of my favorites are when “Bear back riding” changes riding on a horse without a saddle to riding on a bear on top of a horse. And I quite enjoy when all of the plants in the nursery are babies.
It’s very difficult to convey the imagination of this book without you experiencing it for yourself. The wonderful thing about it is that some of the homophones are so clever they went over my head, and there are so many more jokes hidden in the illustrations that I couldn’t possibly notice all of them on our first read through. This is definitely a good opportunity for an engaging literacy lesson, and a very fun read aloud to boot.
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?
Written by Mac Barnett and Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen have long been by favorite picture book making duo. When they work together on a project, it’s cause for celebration as far as I’m concerned. And when it’s a Christmas book? Well I simply couldn’t ask for more.
This is a very funny book, and it’s built around a universal questions that kids most certainly always ask. How does Santa get down the chimney? The narrator has plenty of very creative ideas, and that’s basically the entirety of this book - funny things Santa might do to get down the chimney.
Personally, I’m a very big fan of the following line:
Maybe Santa knows about the key under the flowerpot, even though nobody is ever, ever supposed to mention the key under the flowerpot.
I think it’s a good example of the humor and charm of the book - but it’s impossible to do the book justice without you being able to flip through and enjoy Jon Klassen’s art. He’s one of the best in the business, and that makes this the must-have Christmas book of the season as far as I’m concerned.
Have you seen these books in person yet? What books have you enjoyed lately? Let us know in the comments!
