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Writer's pictureNZ Booklovers

Scary Tales: Rhymes For Brave Children by Judi Billcliff


Classic nursery rhymes get a spooky makeover with this new book. Miss Muffet is now a sassy witch, Humpty Dumpty is a little Frankenstein, and Mary's little lamb is now a ghost.


These kooky, spooky rhymes will delight children and adults alike and are complimented by gorgeous illustrations.


Illustrator Deborah Hinde had been doing a daily challenge on social media. While she would paint mainly cute, soft and cuddly characters, she noticed she got a higher response when she posted something a little darker.


"The idea of fractured nursery rhymes occurred to me, so I jotted a few titles down and contacted author Judi Billcliff."


The result is this collaboration between the two Waikato-based creatives.


Hinde's illustrations still maintain some her cutesy charm, which makes the book not too scary for more sensitive little readers.


While there are some well-known rhymes that have been given a spooky makeover, the collection also includes new rhymes like My Dog Turned into A Vampire, and Liar, Liar.


By giving well-known and well-loved rhymes a makeover, the pair have shown to younger writers, it's okay to be creative. This collection will inspire children to play with language and riff off favourites.


A nice added bonus to the book is a collection of facts, jokes and an activities section Whether it's a new fun game to play, an interesting fact about a character in one of the rhymes, or a new joke to add to their repertoire, there's something for every one.

Scary Tales is a fun and funny creative book that will have children giggling along with their favourite creepy characters.


Reviewer: Rebekah Fraser

Picture Book Publishing

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