Such a lovely cosy book! The story was well written and very catchy because of the rhymes.
The illustrations were beyond beautiful and I enjoyed every page I've seen.
If they would publish it also in the Netherlands with a dutch translation I would sure buy it for my little girl who loves everything " Spoopy"
Would highly recommend this book!

This ended up being a lot better than I expected. It’s a cute little story about a young Halloween-obsessed girl finally getting to experience the true joys of the holiday—thanks to cute little Halloween spirits called the Spoops.

What really makes this storybook shine is Laure Conley’s artwork: classic, but updated for 2025. Even though the color palette sticks to black, white, and various shades of orange, the visuals really pop. The retro vibe gives it the feel of a vintage Christmas storybook—just with Halloween swapped in.

It’s a quick read, but it left me feeling like I’d just rediscovered an old classic. I could easily see the Spoops becoming the next great Halloween mascots, right up there with Jack Skellington and David S. Pumpkins.

2.5 stars

Ugh, I wanted to like it. The cover is so cute.
But the writing was not good and the story was less about the spoops and more about .... dentists.
There were some cute moments here and there, but the poetry was a tad too basic and felt wrong for this kind of story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the illustrations for this one--the 90s are so back! I think this would be a great family read-aloud, but I am not sure where it would go in a library collection if the location does not have holiday specific shelving. The vocabulary is a little too complicated for a leveled reader, and there are no chapters to put it in with the transition chapter books. It feels long for a picture book...

I am still going to buy it for us just to take a look at the physical copy. My best guess is picture books.

Very cute!

I received this advanced copy from the publisher and NetGalley, Thank you so much!
This was adorable to read!!
I am a person who wishes it were Halloween all year round and I feel like Holly because in my house we don't do much but I would love to go all out.

The illustrations are so cool and using just the Halloween colours was a good choice. I have ideas to make a Spoops now this Halloween and will be using the illustrations for inspiration. Even though it's a book for children I think an adult like myself will enjoy this and will get you into the spirit of Halloween.

"Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween" by A.J. Locascio is a sweet children's book that tells the story of Holly, a little girl who loves Halloween... even though her dentist parents disapprove. Holly longs to celebrate the season and makes a wish that leads to a visit from the Spoops, Halloween spirits who help grant her wish!

This adorable book spoke to my own Halloween heart with its beautiful retro-inspired illustrations and clever rhyming story. I love that Locascio helps readers to embrace all the fun of Halloween outside of just candy and trick-or-treating. It's a nice reminder that Halloween has lots of activities and traditions that families can share together.

Such a wonderful gift for the Halloween lover in your life and one that I will definitely be adding to my shelf as a fall staple for reading with my daughter.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced read.

Imagine the horror of being a little girl who loves Halloween and all things creepy, but has two dentists as parents. And, of course, they dislike Halloween because of all the candies the kids consume on that day. And as a result, they've forbidded their daughter from celebrating.

But, on the night of Halloween, while the little girl is up in her room, not allowed to celebrate, she makes a wish. And then, the little Spoops show up. Their mission? To help everyone celebrate and make the adults understand that Halloween, isn't only meant for eating excessive amounts of candies, but for being allowed to express one's self.

Not gonna lie, I enjoyed this one. It's a nice whimsical Halloween story, perfect for people who enjoy stuff that are both spooky and cute.

And while it is overall a nice little book, its best feature and what drew me to it, is the absolutely beautiful art! Seriously, it's out of this world.

The only thing that left me kinda indifferent, is the tone of the writing (for lack of a better expression.) It tries to mimic the style of Dr Seuss' stories, but I'm not a big fan of that, so, while that didn't negatively impact my enjoyment of the book, it didn't play a part at making me enjoy it more either. Maybe people who grew up with Seuss' books, will appreciate it more?

Spoops is a delightful Halloween tale, it's giving classic Dr. Seuss. I would’ve absolutely loved this as a child or teen, but even now as an adult, I found it utterly charming. It strikes that perfect balance of spooky-but-sweet, the kind that makes you want to snuggle up while a thunderstorm rumbles outside.

The rhyming text flows beautifully, with a story that’s both funny and heartwarming. The illustrations are rich and atmospheric - pure autumn magic on every page.

My only slight hesitation is that the vocabulary might be a bit advanced for younger kids, so it's a little unclear who the book is best suited for. However, it’s still a joy to read!

Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween is a cozy and heartwarming Halloween tale that brings a touch of whimsical magic to the season. With its charming rhyming verse and nostalgic black, white, and orange illustrations, this story captures the spirit of Halloween in a way that feels both classic and fresh.

The book follows young Holly Hollowell, a girl who loves Halloween more than anything but is stuck on the sidelines thanks to her dentist parents who are firmly anti-candy. Everything changes when the Spoops arrive, tiny magical spirits hatched from gourds who ensure everything is perfectly spooky for Halloween. With their help, Holly discovers that Halloween is not just about sweets, but about imagination, self-expression, and embracing your spooky side.

While the story was quite lovely overall, I would say it leans more into the children’s picture book category than a traditional graphic novel. The rhyming narrative adds a playful tone, but combined with the book’s length, it might feel a bit difficult to read out loud by the end. Still, it would be a really sweet story to share with an older child around Halloween, especially for families looking for a new seasonal tradition.

Overall, Spoops is a cute, cozy read with a heartfelt message and enchanting artwork that will appeal to Halloween lovers of all ages.

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was so much to love about this one! FANTASTIC Halloweeny illustrations that were absolutely adorable throughout the book, tiny Halloween spirits, and general spooky fun. Unfortunately, for me the plot and the writing really fell flat. The rhyming writing made it seem more like a picture book than a graphic novel, but it was way too long to keep the little ones attention. And I feel like the plot of dentists hating Halloween has just been done too many times. Overall, I just found myself wondering what the audience was for this writing. BUT the illustrations are fantastic, and this one is worth checking out for that alone!

Thanks to NetGalley, A.J. LoCascio, and IDW Publishing for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own!

Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween is a wholesome story about a little girl who gets her Halloween wish with the help of some adorable spooky spirits. I loved everything about this book! The artwork is stunning. It's adorable, whimsical, and captures the cozy feeling of fall. And the spoops themselves are too cute! Get me plushies of these little spirits stat! The story itself is heartwarming. The rhyming prose is fun and reminds me a lot of Shel Silverstein. Whether you're picking this up for your kid or just want a fun read for the Halloween season, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Spoops is injected with magic that I think only exists still in the nostalgia I have for my childhood in the early 2000s. The illustrations and color palette reminded me of the 80's and 90's books stocked on my bedroom shelf as a kid, and the story was so whimsical and brimming with the magic of the autumnal and Halloween season. This is a story I will be purchasing for all my friends' kids to inspire them for some major love of Halloween. The idea of Spoops is such a sweet concept, and I loved the pacing and the vocabulary utilized within the story, with the visuals. SUCH a great seasonal (or year-round in my household) read for any class or home library.

The illustrations alone are enough to give this book 5 stars! I loved the whimsical and vintage feel of Halloween in this town! I read this with my 7 year old and he really enjoyed it too - he had a different favorite spoop on each page, they’re all so cute!

Enjoyed the lyrical rhyming structure of the prose too, very easy to settle into a rhythm while reading aloud.

We’re Halloween People and I’ll definitely get a hard copy of this one when it’s released to have on hand for my kids.

This is Halloween Dr. Seuss in the best way possible. 🎃🖤

I would’ve devoured this as a kid—seriously, it would’ve been my entire personality every fall. But even as an adult, I’m so glad I have it now. It’s whimsical, warm, and full of that perfect spooky-but-not-too-spooky Halloween magic that makes you want to curl up with cider and read it on repeat.

Holly’s writing has that fun, rhyming Seuss-style rhythm that just flows, and the story itself is equal parts heartwarming and hilarious. The illustrations? So cute and vibrant! You can practically feel the crisp fall air and smell the pumpkin spice through the pages.

This is 100% going on my “read every October” shelf—and I’ll definitely be gifting it to every kid (and Halloween-loving adult) I know. It’s one of those books that feels like a warm hug with a side of trick-or-treat mischief.

Highly recommend if you love cozy fall reads, clever rhymes, and a little dose of spooky joy. 🧡

5/5⭐️ First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of “Spoops”. I love Halloween all year round, so this book was literally made for me 🎃🖤 The story was super cute and i absolutely loved the art style, i’ll definitely buy a physical copy to have on my shelves ✨

This story was really cute and sweet. I especially love the illustrations and the choice to use selective color. The orange really pops of the page and aside from being a color of both fall and Halloween adds some lovely contrast and focal points. This definitely feels intentional since the black (also a Halloween color) seems really reserved primarily being regulated to line art with a few small exceptions. There are other shades and tones in this book too but it's subtle. So 5 stars for the artwork for sure.

In my opinion, the style and type of story being told here feels appropriate for kids around age 5 and under. With that age range in mind, this story feels a bit long for the attention span of that developmental level. Both my children really enjoy(ed) reading at 5 but I think they may have gotten bored with this one around the halfway mark.

I also felt like the syllable and rhyme pattern was not as consistent as I wanted it to be for a kids book. Again, for the age range that this seems appropriate for, adding in syllables or settling for half rhymes could feel jarring for the kids who are anticipating something more specific. Writing in meter and rhyme in poetry for adults I think benefits from playing with the rhymes and meters, but I think for kids it's better to adhere to the chosen pattern as strictly as you can. I recognize the difficulty of this though and there was really only a few spots that seemed like it could have been improved so I'm not taking away too many points for it.

And one last comment on the intended audience is that there was definitely some vocabulary in here than some adults I know wouldn't have understood let alone a 5 year old. I wouldn't normally even mention it since I think exposing kids to complex vocabulary early is usually a good thing, but I also think it needs to come in really small doses. Maybe I'm saying that because in my experience reading to my kids, when we came across words they didn't know, they'd stop the story and ask, "Mom, what does obscene mean?" "What's a clinician?" "Supression? What is that?". (All real word examples from this book) And there were enough of those big words for a five year old that it would make reading this to a child fairly disruptive if they are the interrupty-type.

Another positive note to end things on: the idea of the spoops (and how cute they are) is something I could see every child in my life getting behind. A little magical, a little mischievous, a lot adorable. What a great concept to center a children's book around.

I'd recommend this to any kids or parents of kids who love Halloween and cute little Halloween creatures. I could also see this being a great home or classroom book to encourage kids to think of other fun parts of Halloween besides the candy.

Such an adorable Halloween graphic novel. I will say, I'm not obsessed with the way this is written. It's told in a very Dr. Seuss rhyming type of way, but the material and vocabulary make this lean more towards middle grade, and I just don't feel like MG readers would appreciate the poem-style of this. I think the story may have been more entertaining and engaging if told in a regular sentence structure.

I did find the illustrations super cute, though. Laurie Conley made this book feel so so SO nostalgic and I was eating it up. Feels so vintage and cozy.

A quick cute cozy holiday read for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Top Shelf Productions for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my very own.

I absolutely loved everything about this. The writing was wonderful - I'm assuming this is meant to be a poem with all the rhyming. It flowed so nicely. The black, white, and orange illustrations made me nostalgic for the Halloween of the 90s. I relate to Holly on a spiritual level - Halloween is my happy place, and it's the time of year that I feel most myself. The Spoops were so cute - I'd get every one of those little spirits tattooed on me!

This was a very sweet and heartwarming read! Perfect for fans of Halloween as well as anyone who just loves getting into the festive fall spirit. It's a very quick read to dive into and will keep you hooked from start to finish. Delve into these spooky and whimsical tales at your own enjoyment!

I adored this Halloween themed book. It has magic, character growth, fun, family bonds and just enough spooky spirits to make a reader excited to continue reading and for Halloween to come. I loved the illustrations as they harken back to the classic looking illustrations of the early to mid 1900s. Loved the use of rhyming in this book too as it’s a great introduction to a form of poetry. So glad I was able to get an ebook copy to review as I can see myself rereading this book whenever I miss Autumn or need cheering up.