"All Hallows Eve" tells the story of the Halloween Fairy (the one who exchanges the candy for a toy)
Each year a few parents write to me about the Halloween Fairy -- that benevolent sprite who exchanges the candy haul for a toy or some money. It's a win-win (as long as the "fairy" doesn't eat all of the candy, ahem). I got this lovely note from Lisa Johnson, author of All Hallows Eve: The Story of the Halloween Fairy. I read the story online and loved it. Perfect for new trick-or-treaters, and fun to read every year.
Here's my hack - we steal my kids' Halloween candy and say a fairy did it. What's more, they're psyched about it! In all honesty, we're not the only people who do this, but we are the only people who have written a book about it, and made it available for free online (or, of course, for purchase from Amazon, B&N, or your favorite neighborhood independent bookstore).
The book is All Hallows Eve: The Story of the Halloween Fairy. Read it online, or better yet, let me read it to you! Our book also provides toddler- appropriate answers for the unending stream of toddler/preschool questions (why do we dress up? why say trick or treat? what's with all the lit pumpkins?). I mean, Feast of the Dead explanations are ok for some kids, but I noticed on your site some questions about how to introduce little ones to the holiday...
We love it, we've gotten some nice reviews, kids love it (we're starting a new site next year called "The Once Upon A Times" in newspaper format to publish all the add-on stories kids send us), and we hope you like it, too!
To read the book online, or to print out some adorable coloring pages, visit: Positive Spin Press: All Hallows Eve
Win it! One lucky Parenthacker will win a signed copy of All Hallows Eve! Just answer the following question in the comments:
What is your favorite no- to low-effort Halloween costume? Boy, girl, kid, adult, whatever.
I'll pick a random winner tomorrow (10/18/08) in the 8pm PST range. Good luck!
More: Easy Halloween tips
