The Haunted Scavenger Hunt: A Spook-tacular Storybook

by Steve Patschke, Roland Garrigue (Illustrator)

Overview

A delightfully spooky and funny Halloween story

When four friends find a mysterious box with the message “Don’t look at it, don’t touch it, don’t open it!”, they decide that they have to know what’s inside. And so they end up on a haunted Halloween scavenger hunt that leads them to the basement of a spooky house. But one by one, a friend goes missing as the group gets closer to discovering the mystery behind the clues. Will they be able to reach the surprise at the end? This humorous Halloween page-turning story begs to be read aloud again and again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536235234
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	07/08/2025
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.37(w) x 10.75(h) x 0.36(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Steve Patschke worked in the public school system as a library media specialist for over thirty years. He is the author of several highly acclaimed picture books for young children, including The Spooky Book and a popular retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker. He splits his time between Woodstock, New York and Sarasota, Florida.

Roland Garrigue is a prolific children’s book illustrator. He loves to draw fantastic universes and surreal situations, populating his books with characters from all walks of life: monsters, vampires, witches, pirates, aliens, children, and all the strange creatures he can dream up. He loves to travel and explore foreign cities and countries, and he hopes his stories can transport his readers to equally exciting places. He lives in Paris.

Editorial Reviews

06/17/2024

Patschke and Garrigue amusingly exploit the allure of don’t for kids in this picture book—and what better day to do so than on Halloween? Sammy, Jenny, Sara, and Pete succumb to temptation when they stumble upon a box labeled “DON’T LOOK AT IT! DON’T TOUCH IT! DON’T OPEN IT!” Ignoring the exhortation kicks off an adventure fraught with eerie atmosphere and further irresistible warnings (“So what did the friends do?” becomes the story’s refrain). The messages eventually lead the group into “a spooky old house” where, one by one, they vanish, leaving only Sara in front of an ominous cellar door... with a surprise on the other side. Digital illustrations playfully evoke classic horror elements—ominous uplighting of faces, big shadows, eerie mists—in this likably tense tale. Characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. Ages 3–7. (July)

Publishers Weekly