Tory Burch on Shopbop
Buy used:
$10.37
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Monday, January 6 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Saturday, January 4. Order within 2 hrs 35 mins
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Ships direct from Amazon! 100% Satisfaction Guaranty, please support small sellers. Individually inspected: Former library book with usual stamps and stickers.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

AlphaOops: H Is for Halloween Hardcover – Picture Book, July 13, 2010

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 102 ratings

H gets top billing — but a stubborn B has something scary to say — as the inside-out alphabet gives a howl-arious Halloween performance.

Ack! It’s time for the show, and A isn’t ready. But then again, Halloween can only start with one letter, no matter how the A-B-Cs normally go! The misbehaving alphabet is back, and there’s no telling who will take the stage next. Z for zombie? P for pirate? Will X think of something good in time? Neon-bright, comically detailed illustrations show a cacophony of costumed letters, each with a mind and personality all its own. Along the bottom, tiny pumpkins arrange the players in proper order, making this alphabet story letter-perfect for Halloween.
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3–In this sequel to AlphaOops! The Day Z Went First (Candlewick, 2006), Kontis and Kolar reintroduce readers to their cast of alphabet players. The book begins with the letter Z directing the letter H to start the show because, “Halloween can't start with any other letter.” Appearing entirely out of sequence, the individual letters then make brief appearances dressed up as characters that begin with their respective letters: “Z is for zombie. N is for nightmare.” The tentative letter B attempts to shine, but he continually encounters problems; at one point his buccaneer costume is taken by P (Pirate) and in another scene a blackbird sits on his head. B perseveres and steals the show by delivering the final line of the play, “B is for…BOO!” Kontis's text is rhythmic and comical, and readers who are comfortable with the alphabet will delight in the silliness of this story. Kolar's illustrations are imbued with a sense of nighttime theater magic, and the slightly muted jewel-tone hues set the scene perfectly. A winsome union of humorous text and art, this light, fresh book is an ideal addition to holiday collections.Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

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

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Illustrated edition (July 13, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0763639664
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0763639662
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 - 5 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD270L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.06 x 0.44 x 10.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 102 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Alethea Kontis
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Alethea Kontis is a storm chaser, adventurer, and New York Times bestselling author. She has received the Scribe Award, the Garden State Teen Book Award, and is a two-time winner of the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award. She was twice nominated for both the Andre Norton Nebula and Dragon Award. Alethea also narrates stories for multiple award-winning online magazines, contributes book reviews to NPR, and does freelance work for Writing the Other. Born in Vermont, Alethea currently resides on the Space Coast of Florida where she watches K-dramas with her teddy bear, Charlie. Together they are ARMY, VVS, and Black Roses. 🥀

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
102 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and fun for learning the ABCs. They appreciate the sweet illustrations, rich colors, and great scenes. The book helps children recognize letters and learn new words starting with them. It's a quick read that kids enjoy.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

16 customers mention "Fun story"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and fun for learning the alphabet. They say it's a great book to read around Halloween, with cute illustrations and a lighthearted approach. Many readers enjoy reading it all year long.

"This is one of my favorite Halloween books and, to be honest, it is one that we don't put away and enjoy all year long!..." Read more

"...That's how great this is. Not only is it Halloween themed (which is awesome) but it helps kids who are learning their alphabet to know that it's out..." Read more

"...He's even more into this one, it's sooooo much fun! Actually, the whole family likes to read it together...." Read more

"I like the illustrations and the story is cute, but my 4 year old son wasn't interested. Perhaps I'll take it out next fall and try again!..." Read more

16 customers mention "Illustrations"16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the illustrations in the book. They find the illustrations sweet and fun for learning the alphabet. The book has full pages of rich colors, great scenes, and several letters.

"...The art in this, like the first book, is fantastic! Full pages of rich colors, great scenes, and several letters...." Read more

"This is possibly one of the cutest kids books I have ever read. I bought three of them for my baby cousins and they freaked out...." Read more

"...But he LOVED it. He laughs every time he reads it. It’s quite adorable." Read more

"I like the illustrations and the story is cute, but my 4 year old son wasn't interested. Perhaps I'll take it out next fall and try again!..." Read more

6 customers mention "Letter recognition"6 positive0 negative

Customers like the letter recognition in the book. They say it helps their little girls learn the letters and new words that start with them. The letters are mixed up, which is a great way to help children recognize them. The book has fun colors and great scenes.

"...Full pages of rich colors, great scenes, and several letters. There is a lot to see on each page, which makes for great readability...." Read more

"...is it Halloween themed (which is awesome) but it helps kids who are learning their alphabet to know that it's out of order and learn new words that..." Read more

"...It's helpful with his letter identification as well because the letters are mixed up." Read more

"...I love the fact that the letters are not in order, it helps my little girl know the letters not just memorize the order. Would highly recommend" Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging for kids. They say it's a quick read and their children like it.

"...There is a lot to see on each page, which makes for great readability...." Read more

"...All in all, it's cute and a fast read and the kids do like it, even if they are still stuck on trying to understand "undead" and why all the..." Read more

"My daughter loved it. She loves to read it over and over!! Will most definitely buy more of her books." Read more

"Lots of reading time!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2016
    This is one of my favorite Halloween books and, to be honest, it is one that we don't put away and enjoy all year long!

    Like the first AlphaOops book, this book has alphabet characters who all participate in the story completely out of order. They all dress up as various Halloween-type things, or are otherwise representing their letter (Q gets Queasy from eating too much candy, M is for Mummy, etc.). They are funny and occasionally interrupt each other, trying to outdo the letters before them.

    The art in this, like the first book, is fantastic! Full pages of rich colors, great scenes, and several letters. There is a lot to see on each page, which makes for great readability.

    I also just love the introductions to "scary" monsters and things in a very fun and lighthearted way.

    At the end, we see a tease about Christmas, but, unfortunately, Candlewick Press decided not to go forward with the Christmas book. :( So, if you enjoy this book as much as I do, reach out to them and let them know you want a Christmas one! Maybe there are enough of us to make them decide they basically HAVE to put out at least one more AlphaOops book. ;) (Though, y'know, I would be stoked to have Thanksgiving, Valentine's/Spring/Easter, and maybe a Summertime book too!). Maybe a hashtag? #WeWantMoreAlphaOops

    E-Mail: publicity@candlewick.com
    Twitter: @Candlewick
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2017
    This is possibly one of the cutest kids books I have ever read. I bought three of them for my baby cousins and they freaked out. That's how great this is. Not only is it Halloween themed (which is awesome) but it helps kids who are learning their alphabet to know that it's out of order and learn new words that start with that letter. Definitely gotta buy the other Alpha Oops for them next!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2017
    My son loves anything with the alphabet, so I ordered this. I thought it would be the alphabet with just a Halloween theme for each letter, but instead it’s the letters all out of order with the Halloween theme of each letter. He usually prefers everything in order, so I worried that he wouldn’t like this after all. But he LOVED it. He laughs every time he reads it. It’s quite adorable.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2012
    I gifted the second AlphaOops book to Reyli, because he loved the first one so much. He's even more into this one, it's sooooo much fun! Actually, the whole family likes to read it together. The other day, Reyli who is only 4 insisted that HE read the book to his mom. He can't read words yet, but he read all the letters on every page.

    I would LOVE to see a series of these books -- maybe one for the holiday season, maybe the AlphaOops team can go on vacation in another edition (on roads, boats, spaceships, tractors!), maybe they could form Alpha-teams and go on a scavenger hunt, stuff like that.

    AlphaOops is definitely on our favorites list!!!
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2014
    I like the illustrations and the story is cute, but my 4 year old son wasn't interested. Perhaps I'll take it out next fall and try again! I love Halloween and thought it was fun to tie in learning letters with a seasonal theme.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2010
    My son loves Alpha Oops, the day z went first, so we were excited to buy this book. It is listed as for the 4 - 8 age group, but introduces some words that are tough the explain to a five year old (e.g. "undead", "zombie", "imps"). Most of the characters here dress up as "scary" halloween characters, and I think it would have been nicer if they were more balanced. Kids these days dress up as fairies, firefighters, astronauts, etc. so they aren't used to seeing all of these scary creatures. Perhaps it's better for older kids, but the story is pretty simple. All in all, it's cute and a fast read and the kids do like it, even if they are still stuck on trying to understand "undead" and why all the characters look so scared. The ending leads you to believe there will be a Christmas book next which I hope is more child-appropriate.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2017
    The original AlphaOops book has been a favorite in my house for a little while, and I picked this one up for my son {lover of pretty much everything Halloween}. It has not disappointed, even after dozens of readings! He can all but quote it now, and still asks for me or my husband to read it to him. Now he just needs the publisher to get Alethea's Christmas themed AlphaOops to the printers and he will be one happy four year old!!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2018
    My preschooler loves this book and asked us to read it countless times over the Halloween season. It's helpful with his letter identification as well because the letters are mixed up.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Mimi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Alphabet Learning!
    Reviewed in Canada on March 28, 2014
    This ghoulish delight of alphabet associations has got my son right on top of his letters...Skeletons, Zombies, Mummies, and more!
    We both absolutely Love it!!!