SPOOPS: THE LITTLE SPIRITS OF HALLOWEEN / Script by A.J. LOCASCIO / Art by LAURIE A. CONLEY / Published by TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

The town of Maple Hollow goes all-out for Halloween every year. There are costume contests and haunted hayrides all throughout October. Indeed, there are only two people in the whole town who don’t like Halloween – the town dentists, Doctor and Doctor Hollowell, who see all that candy as a threat to their work.

The Hollowells forbid their daughter, Holly, from taking part in all the festive fun. It will take a Halloween miracle and a wish to help Holly have a Happy Halloween. A wish that will be answered by the Spoops – the little spirits of Halloween! With their help, Holly will have a happy holiday and help her parents see that there is more to Halloween than just candy.

Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween is a fun, festive read. I’ll admit to some bias as one for whom every day is Halloween. However, A.J. Locascio proves to be as talented a writer as he is a voice actor. (You probably know him best as Gambit in X-Men ’97.) I fear some of the word choices might be a bit difficult for the publisher’s intended audience of 5 to 8 years old. Even if they are, this is an ideal book for storytimes in the early autumn.

The artwork by Laurie A. Conley is perfectly suited to the story. It took me back to the many Early Reader books blending art and more complex stories than standard picture books I enjoyed as a kid. The designs for the Spoops are also amazing, being both cutsey and spooky, which is a hard blend to pull off.

Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween is a fun, festive read. I think it will be an ideal addition to any library. Highly recommended to all young readers (or young at heart readers) and all who enjoy the pageantry of Halloween.

Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween releases on August 12, 2025.