kids star wars costumes - kids halloween costumes

According to the American Express Index report, mass kids star wars costumes merchandisers and discount department stores are most often cited for halloween products, commanding 69% of the market. the industry is hoping to ensure that halloween remains america''s k-gr 3--a lighthearted look at the less scary aspects of halloween. rhyming text on each page gives an abbreviated description of each costume children try on in preparation for a party. star while the disguises chosen are all traditional (frankenstein, vampire, werewolf), youngsters are shown creating them out of items from their own cupboards and toy boxes. the acrylic paintings show characters excited and smiling beneath their costumes, taking some of the fright out of the fangs and claws prominently displayed. the text, however, is distracting--the poems about each outfit do not follow a regular rhythm, making them difficult to read aloud. lines fall in unexpected pairings, so it is hard to anticipate where the emphasis should be. spare text means that information and contextual clues are omitted, leaving adults to explain the binary code of a robot, or why vampires shy away from garlic. while the concept and illustrations would appeal to a librarian searching for a halloween storytime, the text does not succeed. try anne rockwell''s halloween day (harpercollins, 1997) for a more energizing treatment.--susan marie pitard, formerly at weezie library for children, nantucket atheneum, ma k-gr 2--riddles introduce the characters associated with halloween, including a witch ("on halloween night/when it''s dark and scary/who can swoop through the air/with a swish and a flurry?") and a jack-o''-lantern ("on a darkened porch/when the moon is low/who can light a smile/with a shine and a glow?"). watercolor illustrations of haunted houses, graveyards, ghosts, and trick-or-treating children establish an appropriately spooky mood; however, the occasionally awkward rhymes can make reading aloud difficult.--shara alpern, the free wars library of philadelphia a house haunted with dark-and-gloomy halloween trimmings can be a decorating nightmare. this year, exorcise the ghouls from your scary scheme and replace them with upbeat arrangements in cheerful oranges and yellows. these easy projects and simple displays--mixing everyday containers with seasonal materials--will leave you spellbound.

hoppy halloweendried hops (the kind used to make beer) form the foundation of this wreath. just thread hops together with wire and attach to a wire wreath form. do the same with orange chinese lanterns (also called japanese lanterns), which dry on their woody stems. ask your florist about availability. fill in with small sprigs of hops and lanterns.dead headslicorice whips and gerbera daisies add hair-raising humor to an imaginative display. these skull vessels are actually folk-art mugs. you can find unusual holiday accessories at boutiques and arts and crafts galleries, but your best bet is to explore import stores that sell day of the dead paraphernalia from mexico--authentic alternatives to conventional decorations.

treat yourself this halloween with twists on a party favor called christmas crackers. these look-alikes that don''t snap are made from tissue paper rolls and cinched paper napkins. add vibrant orange chinese lanterns. for containers, use colorful pottery, such as these vintage bauer pieces. pres-gr 2--preparing a costume for emily is an event for her entire family. grandma brings her a purple cape and grandpa brings a skirt to match. in a pattern akin to "this is the house that jack built," striped socks, a red purse, and, of course, a big black hat are added. then, "this is a snake that''s long and slim ... /to go with the hat with a big, black rim ... /to go with the purse with the strings untied ... /to go with the socks with stripes on the side...." mom decorates and dad looks on. each alternating page is black with a colorful trim and the words for each accessory pop out from the otherwise white print in bold colors along with skeletons, bats, or ghosts. a boldly colored, full-page illustration of the child and the cumulative action appears on the opposite page. this is a great read-aloud for the younger costumes set and a good choice for newly independent readers. it has all of the fun and none of the fright of halloween.--wanda kids star wars costumes meyers-hines, ridgecrest elementary school, huntsville, al