Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for this arc.

This was so fun! I loved the rhyming quite song like writing and the adorable little spoops. The art style feels very vintage inspired and the minimal colour really helped all the orange and halloween vibes pop.

I would definitely recommend this for a cute Halloween read.

Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween is everything I want spooky season to be—adorable, clever, and bursting with nostalgic charm. The rhymes are pitch-perfect, the message is heartwarming, and the black-white-orange illustrations (with subtle nods to vintage Halloween decor!) completely stole my heart.

As a lifelong Halloween lover, this one hit all the right notes. I would die for the Spoops. Like, bury me in a Halloween costume and let their tiny ghost hands tuck me in. 👻🕯️

This book celebrates what Halloween is really about: imagination, self-expression, and a little mischief. It’s a new classic—and I’m obsessed. 🎃🖤

Thank you to IDW Publishing and A.J. LoCascio for the eARC!

While I am definitely not the target audience for this age wise I still absolutely adored it. I loved the mix between educational story telling and the whimsy drawing style. We need the Spoops in real life! I'd definitely recommend this to bring an important topic (advocating for yourself and what you like) to the table

Really cute.

The book - narrated in verse - tells the story of a girl who loves Halloween, but doesn’t get to celebrate it due to her dentist parents disliking it (too many candy-caused cavities). Luckily her parents are at a dentist convention one Halloween and she finally does get to celebrate with the help of the Spoops, little Halloween spirits.

The art style was adorable and the story was sweet.

Overall I really enjoyed this.

Holly Hollowell loves Halloween. Ever since she was a baby, it's been her favourite time of year. Unfortunately, her mom and dad are both dentists, and to them, the holiday means candy and candy, which means cavities and dentists don't like cavities! All these things mean that for Holly, Halloween is banned! This year however, her parents are going out for the evening and Holly is determined to have a good time but even she couldn't have imagined, when she made a wish which the Sp.oops heard, just how her all hallows eve was going to go!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers IDW Publishing/Top Shelf Productions, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a beautiful book that could easily become both a classic Halloween title and a beloved family must read for autumn. The narrative bounces along. It's easy to read, scans well, and mentions all the things that children love about this slightly spooky holiday. The illustrations could not be better. They fit the words perfectly, and I, for one, would love there to be an accompanying colouring book. This comes highly recommended, and my copy is on pre-order.

I loved this book! The illustrations were absolutely magical! I’ll be tempted to get a copy (as a full grown adult) just so I can have it on display!
There were a couple of lines in it which I feel could perhaps have been restructured slightly-ordered slightly to make it flow better and to make the paragraphs make better sense but other than that it’s really adorable.
As someone who loves Halloween it really does give you that feeling of awe that you get in October of true nostalgic Halloween, not the commercialised Halloween - it’s brilliant

Thank you Netgalley, IDW Publishing and Top Shelf production for this arc.

This was a wonderful story about a little girl and her biggest dream. It had magic, cuteness and a lot of Halloween spirit in it. The drawings were amazing and I really enjoyed the color palette. The orange and black colors really brought the story to life. My toddler also loved this. He enjoyed the rhyming and the drawings and of course the cute little Spoops. I think this will be a story that I will read to him over and over again. Only complaint that it was short and we finished it really fast, but other than that it was a fun story and also instructive.

I’m already in my Halloween mood because of this one. Anyone knows where I can find a pumpkin patch in summer? Because I need some Spoops cuteness right about now.

Spoops the little spirits of Halloween
By Aj LoCasio
Release date 12 August 2025
Rating 5 stars 9.00 cawpile

Spoops is a debut book for Aj LoCasio and it was the cutest story. A little girl longs to have a Halloween while her parents do not like it enter the spirits of Halloween to help her have the best one. The illustrations were adorable and if you already know about the spirits of Halloween they are as adorable as they are in real life. This is a book for anyone who loves the spooky but anyone who wants to be swept away into the world where spirits of Halloween will always make sure your dreams come true. Aj this book was everything I was looking for and I cannot wait to see more wonderful stories you weave with these little guys at the forefront because you are on to a winner with these.

I will be telling everyone to read this during spooky season although we all know that spooky season is all year round. Thank you for allowing me to read this early and I cannot wait to have this physically in my hands in August.

Going up right now

As someone who loves Halloween but lives in a country where it’s not celebrated, Spoops felt like a sweet, spooky hug. Following Holly, a Halloween-loving protagonist, made me feel seen and understood—and honestly, I needed that.

The story is charming and heartwarming, with a message that really sticks with you in the best way., The illustrations are absolutely beautiful too. Spoops feel like the rhyming picture books I cherished as a kid. There’s a magic in the pages that reminds me of childhood, when stories felt like little worlds you could live in.

This book deserves a spot in every library. It’s cute, meaningful, and perfect for readers of all ages who want a bit of spooky joy in their lives.

I'm trying very hard to somehow contain my childlike excitement about this picture book and not just end up submitting a review of "OMG THIS IS SO CUTE!". But to be honest it was cute, so, so cute. And cosy. And everything my inner child wants Halloween to be.

The illustrations are beautiful, I love that the focus is on Orange as a main color and the rest is just black and white. How the spirits were depicted was absolutely perfect. They are all precious and so adorable, and I wish they were my friends.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book as an ARC. I had a blast.

The cutest Halloween book!
Laurie Conley is one of my favourite ghostie/ grim reaper artists and this book did not disappoint with all the little spoops.
The story was adorable, giving Grinch vibes but Halloween!

thanks for the review copy. Can't wait to force everyone to buy this in September..🎃

A little girl stands up to her Halloween-hating dentist parents for her right to celebrate, despite their disdain for the holiday. The duo tone, adorably magical illustrations IMMEDIATELY caught my eye with this title. Not to mention the charming title! Spoops The Little Spirits of Halloween plays with rhyming, text layout on the page. Larger words are used throughout, so vocabulary can be gained. I think I, personally, would have preferred if this were a shorter picture book format as the text often dragged, but the imagery and idea of magical spooky energy was so fun.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read this is honestly because I saw it on Netgalley and thought it looked super cute, plus I love Halloween, so I thought I would apply for it. Friends, I'm so happy I got to read this one. First of all the artwork throughout this story is super cute and really gives me the nostalgia of childhood books I read as a kid. As a 31 year old woman reading this book, I adored it and loved that it showed that Holly's uniqueness is what made her special and that her love for spooky/halloween things as a child was not weird and in fact should be encouraged. This book would've been so perfect for me as the odd one out Halloween loving girly growing up. For such a short story with a LOT of illustrations it sure does pack a mighty punch. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a cute little halloween read, even if you're not a child. And I will FOR SURE be picking up a copy of this for my niece when it comes out.

Spoons is a fun book about a girl who feels different and lives Halloween. Her parents don’t and won’t let her participate. The little Spoops come out to grant her a wish and make it the best Halloween ever. Will they be able to sway her parents? You’ll see. The illustrations were fantastic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

CUTEST BOOK IN ALL THE LAND!

For reals though, I don’t think I could love a children’s book more. If I hadn’t been a kiddo with parents who fully embraced Halloween growing up, I probably would’ve wept a little at how validating this story felt. At the heart of it, the message is universal - embrace your own strange self, believe in a little magic and kindness will always prevail.

I dare say I love the artwork more than the story itself but the rhyming, whimsical dance of words made for a perfect pairing. Every kid I know is getting a copy of this from me come October.

I received an electronic ARC from IDW Publishing through NetGalley.
Charming characters capture the joy of Halloween. Holly feels sad every Halloween as her parents don't celebrate and won't let her participate. LoCascio plays heavily into the dentists oppose candy stereotype to humorous effect. Readers see Holly make a wish and watch as that wish travels all over to find the help it needs. The Spoops are little spirits filled with Halloween joy. They come to help Holly celebrate and make her feel part of the community. They even help her parents grasp that Halloween is more than candy. The author has a light touch with the creepy side of Halloween and keeps the characters charming. I appreciate the old fashioned artwork that captures the history and eerie feel to this holiday. A fun family read during autumn.

Thank you NetGalley, IDW Publishing, and Top Shelf Productions for this arc!

5/5 stars!

This was a fantastic children's book, with a good story and beautiful illustrations! I love the limited colour scheme, and how the illustrations are reminiscent of more vintage drawings; they really added an extra layer to this cute story. Where can I find some spoops to be friends with because DANG THEY'RE CUTE!! A perfect book for Hallowe'en lovers of any age!