As the monsters of the Fright Club prepare to scare children on Halloween, an adorable little bunny tries to join the club. - (Baker & Taylor)

As the monsters of the Fright Club prepare to scare children on Halloween, an adorable little bunny tries to join the club. By a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award-winning author/illustrator. - (Baker & Taylor)

This monster mash-up from Geisel winner Ethan Long doles out the laughs and the chills in equal measure.

This monster mash-up from Geisel winner Ethan Long doles out the laughs and the chills in equal measure.

Each year, on Halloween eve, Fright Club meets to go over their plan: Operation Kiddie Scare. Only the scariest of monsters can join Fright Club--Vladimir the Vampire, Fran K. Stein, Sandy Witch, and Virginia Wolf have all made the cut. They’ve been practicing their ghoulish faces, their scary moves, and their chilling sounds. But when a band of cute little critters comes along asking to join in the fun, the members of Fright Club will find out who really is the scariest of all!

This clever, rollicking read aloud text and delightfully spooky illustrations will have young readers laughing, cheering, and begging to be the newest members of Fright Club.

Ethan Long is the 2013 Geisel winner for UP! TALL! AND HIGH! and a tremendous (and prolific) up-and-coming talent. Kirkus called his latest book, MAX AND MILO GO TO SLEEP! "laugh-out-loud fun" and it was an Amazon Editors Pick for January. He was nominated for an Emmy Award with his animated series Tasty Time with Zefronk, currently airing on Disney Junior. He received a Bank Street Book of the Year Citation with DROOLING AND DANGEROUS and is also the author of the delightful TICKLE THE DUCK and CHAMELIA. He lives in Orlando, Florida.
www.ethanlong.com

Booklist Reviews

The scene is set with a nighttime palette of grays, browns, murky green, and a few gleams of soft white. A pop of fluorescent orange on the cover commands attention. Traditionally scary creatures are making plans for Operation Kiddie Scare when they are repeatedly interrupted by a rabbit, a butterfly, a turtle, and other "cute little critters" eager to join the group. Subtle messages about prejudice and inclusion come across as the adorable animals prove they can be just as frightening as monsters. Graphite-pencil art, scanned and colored digitally, along with a cinematic book design establish the pace and feel of the story and suggest the experience of watching an old black-and-white film. Long shots with wide angles shift back and forth with tight-focus close-ups to provide varying perspectives. The lighthearted tone makes this Halloween tale a perfect pick for younger children. Monster names such as Virginia Wolf and Mumford N. Suns will entertain the adults as well. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

The first rule of Fright Club: don't talk about Fright Club. The next rule? Only the truly scary can be members. Discrimination! cries a bunny, who wastes no time seeking representation, then organizing a demonstration along with a butterfly, ladybug, turtle, and squirrel. It's a funny Halloween concept that delivers through Long's spry text and cartoony, digitally colored (though sparely) graphite-pencil illustrations.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

The first rule of Fright Club: don't talk about Fright Club. The next rule? Only the truly scary can be members. Discrimination! cries a bunny, who wastes no time seeking representation, then organizing a demonstration. "HISS, MOAN, BOO! WE CAN SCARE TOO!" chant a butterfly, ladybug, turtle, and squirrel. And scare they do, disrupting the Fright Club meeting and proving their fearsome bona fides just in time for "Operation Kiddie Scare." It's a funny Halloween concept that delivers, through Long's spry text—Ghost: "What are we going to do?!?" Vampire Vladimir: "NOTHING! If you ignore cute little critters, they eventually go away!"—and cartoony digitally colored (but very sparely, it's mostly all shadowy grays) graphite-pencil illustrations. elissa gershowit Copyright 2014 Horn Book Magazine.

Kirkus Reviews

The members of Fright Club are in for a surprise when a crew of cuddly critters wants to join and participate in Operation Kiddie Scare. On the night before Halloween, Vladimir the vampire attempts to coach his fellow scary creatures on "The 3 Traits of Highly Successful Monsters." But there's a knock at the door: an innocuous bunny politely requests to join the club. But Vladimir shoos the rabbit away, saying "Fright Club is for monsters only!" In the meantime, the club members are hopelessly not scary. When Vladimir responds to a second knock, he finds the bunny has brought her attorney, Frances Foxx, to plead her case. Vladimir sends them off because only monsters are frightening, not sweet woodland creatures. Opening the door to a third knock, the vampire encounters a gang of animals chanting, "HISS, MOAN, BOO! WE CAN SCARE TOO!"—and proceeding to prove it. How can the monsters turn them down now? Long delivers an original story full of droll humor while also introd ucing the concept of questioning stereotypes and rules. His gray-toned cartoon illustrations are touched with just tinges of color (green skin, brown fur, the bunny's cute, pink eyes), and he adds details sure to amuse, such as Frances' glasses and briefcase and the monsters' absurd expressions. Long ably proves that "when it comes to scaring, the more the merrier." (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus 2015 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

After a witch, vampire, ghost, and other creatures convene for a tree house meeting of Fright Club, it soon becomes clear that the club's first rule is that cute creatures need not apply: "Fright Club is for monsters only!" says vampire Vladimir as he shoos away a fluffy white rabbit. However, the club's monsters aren't very good at "ghoulish faces" and "scary moves," and the bunny—along with a squirrel, turtle, and other traditionally unscary creatures—could actually show them a thing or two. Long's dark, ghostly palette sets an appropriately eerie mood, and he has a lot of fun with the cuddly animals' reign of terror (a butterfly wields chains, Jacob Marley style, as it chases a ghost). Don't worry about what goes bump in the night, Long seems to suggest—daylight can be plenty scary, too. Ages 4–8. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Aug.)

School Library Journal Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—Vladimir the vampire summons all the local monsters to a meeting in his tree house the night before Halloween. Frankenstein, Witch, Ghost, Mummy, and others show up for the Fright Club meeting to discuss Operation Kiddie Scare. They are doing important things, such as reviewing the three traits of highly effective monsters, when suddenly there is a knock at the door. There's a cute bunny outside wanting to join the Fright Club. Vladimir shoos her away, however, because "Fright Club is for monsters only!" Back to the meeting he goes to lead the group in making their scariest sounds and faces. They're all duds, and it's not going well. Even an eye-popping mummy isn't scary enough. And then, there's another knock at the door. Bunny is back with her attorney, Frances Foxx, claiming that her client was denied inclusion in the club. Vladimir slams the door and returns to lead the group in scary moves. They're still not very scary, and suddenly there is a third knock at the door. Bunny is back with her attorney and a protest group comprised of Turtle, Butterfly, and Fly, all carrying signs and making loud noises. Eventually, the protesters are allowed inside and are actually pretty good at conjuring up scary faces and noises. They're officially allowed to join the club, and Operation Kiddie Scare the next night is a great success. "When it comes to scaring, the more, the merrier." The illustrations of not-so-scary, cartoonlike monsters are rendered in muted hues of orange, brown, and gray. Created with graphite pencil and drawing paper, they are digitally enhanced. VERDICT Silly but entertaining. Purchase for seasonal collection or Halloween laughs.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA