One thing I love about Halloween are the costumes. Unless you are a regular at the Costume Ball at the local castle, I doubt many of you have the opportunity to don a costume very often. So for most of us we have one night a year, at Halloween, where we can put on another's persona. It's fun to be a Princess or Witch or whomever we choose. Sometimes we might even take on just a bit of that characters personality. Maybe we'll be a little bit naughty, nice or brave?
The book "How Spider Saved Halloween" is not a book I would normally pick up. I am spider-phobic (arachnophobia) and I don't care how cute they make them they're still spiders. But anyway that's just me. This book was in a batch of books I picked up at a Flea Market. When selling books one thing you have to do is go page by page and look at the book for tears, marks, etc. With children's books I cannot help but read the book as I go along. This explains why I am so slow at ever getting things done! As you see in the image below, Spider looks more like a tick (not much more endearing), but pretty harmless especially while wearing beads and a hat. You'll notice Ladybug in her witch hat making final adjustments to his outfit, while Fly (dressed as Santa) looks on.
My point is that I ended up really loving this book. The author Robert Kraus (1925 – 2001) has a very easy going artistic style with bright colors and simple shapes. The book is enjoyable for adults as well as kids. It is witty and clever and the characters Spider, Ladybug and Fly turn out to be quite lovable. Spider needs help finding a costume and once that is settled they enjoy their Trick or Treating. Towards the end of the night a couple of bullies come along. Spider whose costume turned out to be a Pumpkin, ends up saving the night and his friends by scaring away the bullies.
While it has not cured me of my aversion to spiders, I really enjoyed the book. The message of how when friends help each other, they can make it through just about anything, is a powerful one. This book was written back in the early 70's and has an anti-bullying theme. The story can help kids and adults understand that standing up to bullying usually proves that the bullies are just a bunch of cowards.
Does anyone think it a bit ironic that the spider, fly and ladybug are friends?
Since this post is about costumes, I have to add a few of my favorites.
Hope you enjoy them!
What was your favorite costume as a child or even as an adult? Please share!
Mine is a secret for now, I will reveal it at a later date (with a picture too)!
~~Diane~~
I loved this post. The book looks like fun. The pics - way too cute.
ReplyDeleteLovely book Diane - I think its very clever that spider, fly and ladybug are friends! The costumes are all very cute and of course I like the paper doll!
ReplyDeleteBy the way I've noticed the effect you have on the cursor on your page - spreading sunbeams like a fairy wand. I just love it!!
I thought you might like the paper doll costume! I have seen the tinkerbell effect on other blogs and found a site that explains how to change the colors etc. Here is the link I used: http://mf2fm.com/rv/dhtmltinkerbell.php
DeleteThis site is also helpful if you want a different color code for your sparkles: http://www.computerhope.com/htmcolor.htm
On the third line down of your tinkerbell code, replace the word random with a different color code, I used #fffc17.
I just love it!! Thanks so much for including these links Diane. I've just used them on my blog. (I chose sky blue to go with my background.) This is so much fun. :)
DeleteOK everyone! Run over to Sharon's blog and play with the tinkerbell fairy dust!
DeleteWhat a cute book. It is ironic that they're all friends, but very endearing. It would turn out to be a horror story otherwise, if one bug ate the other! :)
ReplyDeleteThose costumes are adorable. When my kids were young, I used to dress up, too, when I took them out trick-or-treating. It was so much fun! I always waited on the sidewalk for them as they got their candy, but sometimes the people giving out the candy would call me over to give me some, as well. They they liked that I was dressed up for Halloween and felt I deserve a treat, too. Needless to say that my kids LOVED it because I would give them the candy I got. Unless it was peanut M&Ms, my favourite candy!
Yes... a horror story if the bugs turned on each other! This author wrote a bunch of Spider Saved books. Makes you wonder about the mind that comes up with this stuff! I also love that you as a parent dressed up! That is fabulous! It's nice that you shared most of the candy too!
DeleteDear Diane I loved the storybook as well as all the costumes...it was so hard to pick which one was my favorite but I think the little girl that says Sparkle Box. I once dressed up like a witch - even had a pointed hat... quite fun. Thanks for bringing to mind the fun of dressing up and being a kid again. Have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteAw, Mary Poppins! And I love those vintage photographs. I've always wanted to dress up as Medusa..
ReplyDeleteHa! I loved that the spider looked more like a tick. It really did! Hysterical. Those pictures gave me some great ideas too! Love it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHappy seeing beautiful!
Thanks for visiting everyone!
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