The kid and I are reading more together lately, so naturally that journey has merged into my reviewing realm over here on Multiverse of Color. I decided to check out IDW Publishing’s Top Shelf Productions’ “SPOOPS: The Little Spirits of Halloween” by AJ LoCascio and Laurie A. Conley for a couple reasons. One being, the art; it jumped out at me immediately reminding me of the Shel Silverstein style I loved as a child. Another reason is that I wanted something to share with my kid that I also enjoy.
The true spirit of Halloween
“SPOOPS” is about a little girl fittingly named Holly Hollowell who has been obsessed with Halloween her whole life, much to her dentist parents’ dismay. (With that name how could she not be?)
Let’s talk about the art a little bit more before we go into the absolutely adorable writing. The “spoops” (magical little Halloween spirits) are perfectly illustrated, delightful to look at, and are well-suited for sticker books, postcards or plushies. My daughter was entranced by the floating pumpkins and “ghosties,” while I was thoroughly impressed with the minimal amount of colors Conley used to paint a very vibrant story. I think I counted maybe three colors used, which is surprising because it feels so much more colorful.
Each “spoop” was charming in their own way, but I also appreciated the effort that went into all that makes Halloween special for kids. The giant pumpkins, the dads in appropriate spooky hoodies, the little kid in the Ghostface Killer costume (those parents actually exist!), Holly’s witchy costume; it was all sweetly done.
The writing, of course, sucked me in immediately. Parents will absolutely love reading LoCascio’s spoopy bars with their kids and the rhymes are just balanced enough that young readers won’t get tripped up when following along. There are a couple pages that are more text-heavy than others, but LoCascio’s verses are clever enough to keep you focused.
Halloween-shaped lessons
My favorite thing about the book is that there is no parental rule-breaking here. Holly’s parents tell her what the rules are and she technically follows them, which is so refreshing. I remember books from my childhood being big on kids knowing better than their parents, much to comedic effect. Sometimes those types of stories can work, but here, I enjoyed that the narrative found its way around the rules without breaking them.
Not only is the book a fun time for young readers, it’s a little lesson in parental anxiety for us caretakers. Being a modern parent genuinely feels like you’re worried about the sky falling on your child every day and the doctors Hollowell represent that. We all could do well letting go of the reins a little bit and living life alongside our kids, not hovering over them.
About “SPOOPS”
Young Holly Hollowell loves Halloween more than anything, but her dentist parents are totally against any event that promotes tooth-rotting sweets. While other kids trick-or-treat, Holly watches sadly from her window…until the Spoops arrive to turn things around! With their magical help, Holly can finally show her parents the true spirit of Halloween: not the candy, but the joy of expressing yourself, unleashing your imagination, and letting your spooky side soar!
Presented in rhyming verse that recalls Dr. Seuss and “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” along with nostalgic illustrations in black, white, and orange, Spoops is an instantly timeless classic that places Halloween right alongside other beloved holidays.
SPOOPS: The Little Spirits of Halloween will be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color hardcover children’s book (ISBN: 9781603095617) as well as a digital edition, on August 12, 2025. For more information please visit the Top Shelf web site.
About the Creator
AJ LoCascio is an American actor, writer, and creator known for his roles as Gambit in X-Men ’97, Prince Lotor in Voltron: Legendary Defender, Gizmo in Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Han Solo in various Star Wars projects, and Marty McFly in Back to the Future: The Game. AJ’s lifelong obsession with Halloween led him to wonder what exactly Halloween Spirit, or Spirits, might look like…so he began hatching his own: the Spoops! What started as little clay sculptures soon grew to countless new forms, as thousands of little Spoops flew off to haunt the homes of fellow Halloween obsessives and collectors across the globe! Now, at last, their story can be told.
Laurie A. Conley has been illustrating books for over 30 years, in addition to creating spooky personal art featuring cute ghosts, cemeteries and haunted houses. Her style harkens back to a bygone era of children’s book illustration, and that is why the Spoops chose Laurie to draw this story for them. She was last spotted in the sky over Maryland, being happily carried by bats.
About the Publisher
Top Shelf Productions has published critically acclaimed and popularly beloved graphic novels since 1997. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf continues to showcase the vanguard of the comics medium, publishing works of literary sophistication, visionary artistry, and personal resonance.