I’ve been on a quest for some super cute Halloween books for Miss Molly recently. Today’s book popped up in my Facebook newsfeed and I had a feeling it was just what I was looking for.
Natalya Loves Candy, by Rebecca Yee, is an adorable picture book about a little girl’s adventure on Halloween night.
From a structure standpoint, I love how there isn’t a lot of text on the pages. The illustrations are so cute, so the little bit of text keeps everything balanced. The colors pop and have a nice fall/Halloween feel. I truly LOVE the rhyme scheme of this book. My voice naturally changed in all the right places, which made the story more engaging and enjoyable.
Natalya is a little girl who is excited to go trick or treating with her friends. She is dressed up as a witch, and has a great time getting candy with her friends. While she’s out, a black cat crosses her path, and she falls in love with him. She takes the cat home, names him Candy, and hopes that her mommy will let her keep him.
I love how this book has some of the traditional aspects of Halloween (witch costume, black cat), but I really enjoyed the play on candy. Yes, Natalya collected candy trick or treating, but the addition of Candy made the story even sweeter. The creativity of this element was unpredictable in a good way, and made the text more memorable.
I think this would be a great read loud for parents and teachers of preschool and early elementary children.
To purchase the book click here.
Little Reading Coach 