This is such a great book. I love the illustrations and the interactive story line. This book held my 5-year old's attention the whole time. It is a great book to read and talk about with your child. You can start with the interactive prompt on the page and then add in more questions with all the fun illustrations.

This story follows Cocoa, he isn’t a fan of Halloween at all. His friend is trying to be the best supportive friend & encouraged him to have fun. This book has so many ways to learn, counting, sizes, imagination, & more! I truly think this would be a great book for Preschoolers! Such a fun book & the illustration was beautiful!

Thank you NetGalley & Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this Arc.

A cute story with interactive elements. Could be good for a Halloween story time. Cute images and fun colors that pop.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest review. I promise my review is 100% accurate to me.

Fun, interactive Halloween book featuring pets in costumes. You really can't go wrong

Cocoa's Cranky Halloween is a cute children's book, just in time for Halloween! We love Halloween in our house, so this book was an automatic request for us! I love how interactive it is, having the reader count objects, turn the book upside down, etc. I do wish there was a little bit more, considering a lot of the other cranky children's books we have really turn the crank up a notch! I would have loved a jaw-dropping "what" moment, or a "can you believe that" or even a fun, silly laugh. It's still a good book, though, but it's better for young ones who aren't used to "Grumpy Monkey" books and those of that sort.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC!

Cocoa’s Cranky Halloween, illustrated by Beth Hughes, is a delightful and colorful children’s book that brings a playful spirit to Halloween night. The story follows Cocoa, the adorably cranky pup, as he celebrates Halloween with his friend, Kitty. The vibrant illustrations perfectly complement the lively, engaging narrative, making it an interactive and fun read for young children.

This book is recommended for ages 2 to 6 and strikes a wonderful balance by offering a Halloween experience that’s festive but not too spooky- ideal for little ones who may be sensitive to scary themes (and me). I especially appreciate how the story encourages participation and keeps young readers captivated throughout.

I rated this book 4.5 out of 5 stars (rounding up!) because it’s a charming addition to any child’s holiday collection. Now that I’ve discovered this is part of a series, I’m excited to explore Cocoa’s other adventures with my daughter.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute book and the kids enjoyed the story. I liked that it was interactive, but the interface for the eARC made it a bit difficult for that. Would love to read a physical copy of this book with them.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

An adorable story perfect for Halloween. Cocoa is grumpy. He is not a big fan of Halloween. He follows his friend Kitty as they search for the perfect treat, along the way they discover many fun and exciting Halloween things. Will they ever find their perfect treat?
We loved this book. It was so fun to read. Lots of humor that kept us smiling. The story is interactive like turning the book around in a circle to help Cocoa Roll over. The easy flowing text and beautiful colorful illustrations help create this fun, creative story.
Enjoy this exciting adventure with your little ones and don't forget to avoid the tricks.

BLUF: super cute, wonderfully interactive, and sure to be a winner with the under 5 crowd! Cocoa and Kitty will melt your heart!

Overall: 5
Lesson: 4
Illustrations: 5

Suggested Ages:
To Read To: 5 & under

Mom's Review:
(Pending)

"A's" Review
(Pending)

"C's" Review
"I love Halloween and I love puppies so this is the best book ever! Even though Cocoa is grumpy, cocoa doesn't quit! And that's what I'm supposed to do to."

Dad's Review
(Pending)

(Full Traveling Book Family reviews to come!)

Thank you so so much to author Thomas Nelson of Tommy Press for the opportunity to read and review this really sweet short story

All reviews are our own.

Many thanks to Tommy Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This is a delightful story about Cocoa’s Halloween adventure, designed to be highly interactive for young children. The book invites little readers to engage through a variety of fun activities—counting, matching, and more. They’ll especially enjoy turning the book upside down to see the bats and helping Cocoa roll over!

The story is sweet and completely non-scary, making it ideal for toddlers and young preschoolers. It’s perfect as a playful bedtime read or as part of a preschool classroom collection, where it could serve as a springboard for themed activities and group discussions.

A cute Halloween story with pets. The book includes many opportunities for young readers to interact with the text such as turning the book upside down. An interactive holiday read for children ages 2-4.

Cocoa's Cranky Halloween is a well-made board book with sturdy, washable pages. Ages 2-6.
The illustrations are large and colorful to get a young child's attention, and the accompanying text is written in short sentences that a young child can understand.

Some book pages have directions to choose something or perform a simple task, making those pages interactive and fun. It's a book that a child will want to hear more than once.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

Love this book!
I can already see this being one of my daughters favorite books! I will be pre-ordering this for sure!
This would also be so popular in my school's library for students to check out, they love interactive books like this.
5/5!

"Cocoa's Cranky Halloween" is the newest book in an interactive series about a cranky dog and how he handles holidays with their expectations and activities. Cocoa is ready to go trick-or-treating with his friend, Kitty, but he must make decisions, work past obstacles, and scheme to get the most treats throughout the night. With the help of the reader, he needs to know the correct path to take, pick out the correct costumes, and help with doing a "trick" for his treat, and then, maybe, the night won't be so bad for this grumpy puppy.

Cocoa's story has an interactive element, similar to many other books, such as "Don't Push the Button," "Press Here," and "I Say Ooh, You Say Aah," maintaining the child's interest in the story and keeping their mind and bodies active throughout the story. "Cocoa's Cranky Halloween" and the subsequent adventures in the series are appropriate for young readers, as the stories are about relatable situations and are inclusive to everyone, not just those who can read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

My daughters and I loved this book. It was interactive and had them practicing counting, saying words/sounds, matching etc. This kept them engaged and asking to read it again and again! The graphics are super eye catching and go beautifully with the story. I would highly encourage you to put this in your Halloween book rotation! Thank you to NetGalley and Tommy Nelson for the advanced reader copy.

This silly interactive story features a grumpy dog who is not thrilled about costumes, surprises, and chocolate.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As stated before our 4-year old loves Halloween and cats. This story Cocoa has a Kitty friend that was her absolute hero of the story. Kitty won’t let Cocoa’s crankiness dim her positive attitude.

The interactivity made this even more fun.
You know kids book is a hit when you finish it and you are asked to read it again right away.

Recommended young kids that want Halloween themed books.

Coco is a sweet bulldog who has found many things not to like about Halloween. The noise, the people, etc. But the family kitty is going to help him find the fun. Fun is exactly what this book is. It’s a story and an activity all in one. It would be excellent for one-on-one reading or for story time.

I really liked the Halloween theme and interactive features of this book! However, I was a little confused by the ending/the last page. I feel like the wording is a bit off, and it's unclear what the relationship is between the neighbor and Cocoa and Kitty. Is the neighbor the owner? Is the neighbor just really nice? I think that altering the wording just a bit in order to make that clear would seal the story off much more nicely. That aside, though, the rest of the book was amazing! Each little activity perfectly transitioned into the next page, and the story flowed seamlessly. Lastly, I love how readers get to see Cocoa warming up to the fun of Halloween; it shows a little bit of personality and character development, which is always ideal. Bravo!

Cocoa's Cranky Halloween" by Thomas Nelson is a charming interactive tale that's perfect for Halloween story time. It explores the familiar theme of overcoming grumpiness and finding joy in community, through the eyes of Cocoa, a lovable but initially grumpy character.
The story follows Cocoa as he navigates his frustrations with Halloween preparations, but crucially, it's his friend Kitty who offers support, suggests solutions, reminds him of how much fun Halloween is. Kitty's presence highlights the importance of friendship and teamwork. The interactive nature of the book, flipping upside down, and matching makes it especially engaging for preschoolers during story time. The narrative itself engaging and the illustrations, created by Beth Hughes are vibrant, detailed, and effectively capture Cocoa's experiences and the friendly dynamic between Cocoa and Kitty. They complement the interactive elements, making it a multi-sensory experience.

I would recommend this for young readers for a great read allowed story time for Halloween.

The story of Cocoa the dog who goes trick or treating will be a delight to young readers who love halloween. This is an interactive book with questions and necessary involvement of the children listeners.