About the Book

In this sequel to Alpha Oops! The Day Z Went First (2006), it’s showtime again for the personified letters of the alphabet, and once more, they take the stage out of order, this time for a Halloween pageant. Dramatizing words such as zombie, nightmare, kraken, vampire, and undead, the letters play their parts, bicker a bit, and comment on the action. The text, vividly illustrated with stylized digital artwork, combines formal alphabetical identification (“O is for ogre. / Y is for yeti”) with the other letters’ informal remarks. Given that the presentation is a bit chaotic and that more sensitive children will want to stop and discuss certain terms and images, this book may be more appropriate for reading one-on-one rather than in a classroom setting. Still, for kids who have outgrown basic ABC books and revel in the spooky side of Halloween, it offers a more engaging experience than your average alphabet book. Grades K-2. --Carolyn Phelan

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Alethea Kontis is a princess, a goddess, a force of nature, and a mess. She was born in Burlington, VT, grew up in Columbia, SC, and now lives in Northern Virginia with her Fairy Godfamily. Her first stuffed animal was a dog named Toto. Her favorite holidays are Halloween and Guy Fawkes Day. She wishes her birthday was in June instead of January (which is entirely too close to Christmas). Of all the things she's ever written, she considers AlphaOops the most colorful. Read an interview with Alethea . . .

About the Illustrator Bob Kolar

As a kid, I dreamed of being an astronaut, a farmer or a jungle guide. Becoming a children’s book creator seemed like a logical first step to achieve these goals. As it worked out, that was the only step I needed to make. My art career started at Midview High School in the farmlands of rural Ohio. I painted the banners that the football players ran through at the beginning of every home game. Seeing a group of people destroy my work every week prepared me well for the life of a commercial artist. Then came art schools, a day job, 1 wife, 3 kids, 20 books and counting (just the books that is, keeping my wife, enough kids). Read an interview with Bob . . .

Creating all the characters for Alpha-Oops; H is for Halloween came very easy. It was as if I had a big head start. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time watching scary monster movies. The margins of most of my school papers were filled with the early versions of all of these beasts and beings that appeared in the book.

Education
Columbus College of Art and Design – BFA – 1982
Syracuse University – MFA – 1984.

Games

Puzzles

Pick your puzzle and click shuffle to start the fun. Can you solve them all?

Memory

Pick your level and see how many moves it takes to clear the board. Start with Level 1 (the easiest) and work your way up.

Letter Drop

Type the letter to clear it from the board. See how many you can clear without looking at your keyboard!

Activity Pages

Click to open and print the page.

Characters and Costumes