10 delightfully dark and eerily scary illustrated children's books perfect for the spooky season!

[@karling1191]

As a fan of picture books, I love that you show the contents of the book and showcase the beautiful illustrations.

[@Shellyish]

It was important to me to include the art in this video!

[@nylirama]

Thanks for this video. My kids are 18 and 20, and I remember reading about half of these to them. I am considering borrowing all of them so I can read them.😊

[@Shellyish]

It is always fun to see books through an adult lens.

[@casalearning775]

My sons, who are adults now, loved Heckedy Peg. They still remember reading it together.

[@Shellyish]

How wonderful!

[@bjarmstrong4855]

What a great video Shelly! I'm currently writing & illustrating a children's book, but I keep hearing that children's books should have a happy ending. But at the end of my book the main character (a vile boy) gets eaten by a monster (I mean, he really deserves it! 😅) I'm glad there are some successful children's books out there with non-mainstream stories & endings!

[@Shellyish]

Wonderful!

[@AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor]

I can't speak for everyone, but I'm ok with an ending like that. One of my favourite picture books is NOT NOW, BERNARD. Bernard gets eaten, even though it's not his fault really - his parents don't pay attention to him at all.

[@bjarmstrong4855]

@@AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor Yes exactly! My son has the same book & we love it. I've also seen a few versions of Little Red Riding Hood, where the wolf eats her as well, so I'm hoping a publisher will feel the same way lol

[@madzabinga8382]

A Dark, Dark Tale by Ruth Brown was the most fun book to read to my class each year. I would tell my students it was a very quiet book, so I would whisper the words, until I got to the very last page with the mouse and then I would read that in a louder voice. So fun! And sort of scary and mysterious. My kids loved it. I recommend checking it out!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[@socaltoobie8984]

I don’t have kids but these books are just charming (even with the dark themes)!! That first book is sooooo cute!! ❤

[@Shellyish]

Thaaaaank you!!!

[@alicecoffey1823]

I love this video, thank you! When I was young my parents didn't like anything dark so we never read stuff like this. I'm undereducated about spooky kids stuff and want to check these out.

[@Shellyish]

I'm so glad! THANK YOU!

[@teacupthestoryteller]

Loved every moment of this video Shelly 🥰 such wonderful books!

[@Shellyish]

Yay, thank you!

[@nathanfoung2347]

Great video Shelly!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you, Nathan!

[@AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor]

Loved the video. Such cool books. When I first read Mayer's book it struck me how similar the style of the book is to Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. Sendak's book was published few years earlier. Both have similar looking boys too. Mayer's book wouldn't have been published now in that form - no guns allowed in children's books now. Mercer is a male, not a woman. Shelly, what is the title of that yellow book with a spider knitting a blanket? The illustrations in it were spectacular. You mentioned it in another video, but I didn't write down the title.

[@novelideea]

Spider and fly is a favorite, as is Heckedy Peg! And, of course, Nightmare in my Closet! I’m surprised you didn’t mention Gashlycrumb Tinies! Have you read klassen’s “the skull”? It has the same kind of progression of “light” that The Visitor has but a creepier subject to begin with. So Good! Also, Philip Stead’s Lenny and Lucy🥰, Oliver Jeffer’s There’s a Ghost in this House, Chris Hadfield’s The Darkest Dark, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Erik ??, & lastly What There Is Before There Is Anything There (author?)

[@Shellyish]

I haven’t read The Skull yet, but it’s on my list to-read. ❤️❤️ So many excellent titles you’ve mentioned.

[@novelideea]

@@Shellyish Jeffers Ghost book has a fun layout/way of telling the story.

[@starlasell5698]

❤📚📚❤️

[@Shellyish]

❤️❤️❤️

[@mommalion7028]

This video overall is good but trying saying like less. The topic is good your speaking voice is good your room is good. the frequent filler of likes are making me flinch. It’s a prerecorded video so you have a choice how polished to make it. I can tell you’re intelligent and charismatic but the valley girl verbal tic is hiding that. 15:38 My son loved creepy crayon series. We watched it every morning on KZbin after they read it at his school last October for two weeks straight. 🖍️ 👻

[@lisashirtz7224]

Ever heard of the book called Harold and the Purple Crayon? These books are not very wholesome. You really want to influence children this way?

[@Shellyish]

I have and love Harold!

[@mommalion7028]

Lisa what’s your beef with Harold? 😂