View source for Ten Spooky Skeletons by Garry Parsons, Patricia Hegarty and Annette Rusling

{{infobox2
|title=Ten Spooky Skeletons
|author=Garry Parsons, Patricia Hegarty and Annette Rusling
|reviewer=Sam Tyler
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Join a bunch of bony brethren as they count up to ten in this lively and eclectic counting book.
|rating=4
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=22
|publisher=Caterpillar Books Ltd
|date=August 2015
|isbn=9781848574519
|website=http://www.garryparsons.co.uk/
|video=
|aznuk=1848574517
|aznus=1848574517
|cover=1848574517
}}

With All Hallows' Eve approaching isn't it about time that you thought about some scary books for kids?  Nothing quite says 'I Love You', more than making your toddler burst into a flood of tears.  Perhaps you should get them a fun book about something a little worrisome – a set of smiley skeletons for instance, rather than completely terrifying them?
 
''Ten Spooky Skeletons'' is a counting book that has scary skeletons at its centre.  Over 22 pages you count from one to ten, each number being represented by the corresponding number of skeletons enjoying an activity.  This ranges from time travel to circus craft!  To give you a glimpse what is coming next, each page also has a small section cut out that reveals a clue – can you guess what they are doing now?

Counting books are a basic of any parent's collection; they can be great fun and also educational.  The best don't just have the numbers to count, but also various objects that can be counted.  This means that you can work up to the number each time.  ''Spooky'' certainly does this as each double spread has up to ten brilliantly illustrated and surprisingly colourful skeletons.  This is down to illustrator Garry Parsons who uses the whiteness of the bones to great effect – especially with the wonderful final page that glows in the dark.

The plot itself is non-existent and, this being a book about counting up to ten, it is not a huge issue.  However, why Patricia Hegarty and Annette Rusling could not have been a little more coherent in their choices of activities is beyond me.  Perhaps Parsons already had his images drawn and asked the authors to write into them?  Either way, this is ten completely random events that do not link together at all.  I can understand dancing and circus activities, but where does time travel come into things?  Even in the world of children's books, this is an eclectic and eccentric selection to have in one book and you feel like you are randomly jumping all over the place.

To a child this level of seeming randomness is neither here nor there.  For them, the large double spread is all that matters and there is loads to see and do.  The hardback version is sturdy and the paper is of a high quality, which helps avoid tearing the holes already cut in each page.  ''Ten Spooky Skeletons'' is a brilliantly illustrated book that has some lovely glow in the dark elements, it is just that it all seems like it was put together by using random activities drawn from a hat.   

There are tons of great counting books available, [[Bear Counts by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman]] is a personal favourite.  For more spooky fun try [[BOO! by Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway]].

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[[Category:Garry Parsons]]
[[Category:Patricia Hegarty]]
[[Category:Annette Rusling]]