As a cryptid (especially Mothman!) fan, this book was an absolute joy. The images were adorable and the story was funny yet sweet at the same time. Mothman really cares about the kids in Point Pleasant enough to cause a mess to get them their pumpkins. I think my favorite part was the fact that Shaffer took into account the ramifications of throwing pumpkins out of the sky from really far up, but I don't think I would want to treat pumpkin guts like snow!

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Just as short and sweet as Merry Cryptid Christmas, this lovely children's book follows Mothman, no longer reclusive but a happy pumpkin farmer who is super excited for Halloween and the prospect of trick or treaters. But when it rains all throughout Halloween night, his hopes and dreams are crushed. So, he teams up with his other cryptid friends to bring Halloween to the town! But their plans to deliver pumpkins to each and every house for some Hallows cheer ends up splattering the entire town in pumpkin guts! Luckily, kids know how to make the most of a sticky situation, and everyone treats it like a snow day, making pumpkin angels, pumpkin snowmen, and having pumpkinball fights. He may not have saved Halloween how he wanted to, but Mothman sure knows how to be a living legend!

Loved this second foray into Shaffer's Mothman world--- my absolute FAVOURITE part was seeing what all of the other cryptids dressed up as. I've gotta wonder if the famous goat sucker had anything to say about Nessie going as Dracula. This feels like the perfect book for any kid who is a massive fan of Nightmare Before Christmas, or really for anyone who doesn't hate the smell of pumpkin guts. Can't wait for Valentine's Day!

‘Mothman’s Happy Cryptid Halloween’ by Andrew Shaffer brings cryptid characters into a children's Halloween tale. While the concept has potential, the execution leaves much to be desired in several areas.

Plot: ★★☆☆☆

My favourite part of this was the pumpkins being smashed over the town, but everything else was just painful to read. The plot lacks cohesion and depth, making it a difficult read for both children and adults.

Character: ★★★★☆

The cryptid characters are wonderful. It’s great to see children being introduced to these lesser-known mythical creatures as they are often forgotten. This aspect of the book adds a unique charm and educational value.

Illustrations: ★★☆☆☆

The illustrations feel like those of a really cheap kids book that you find in the doctor's waiting room. That sounds harsh, but it reflects the overall impression of the art quality, which seems subpar and unpolished.

Engagement: ★★☆☆☆

The engagement is low. The story does not hold the reader’s interest for long, and the weak plot further detracts from the book’s ability to captivate children.

Readability: ★★★☆☆

The readability is average. While the language is accessible and easy to understand, the disjointed plot makes it a less enjoyable read.

Enjoyment: ★★☆☆☆

Overall, the enjoyment is low. The interesting concept of introducing cryptids to children is overshadowed by the poor execution in plot and illustrations.


‘Mothman’s Happy Cryptid Halloween’ by Andrew Shaffer is an ambitious attempt to bring cryptid characters into children's literature. However, the weak plot and subpar illustrations detract from the potential enjoyment. Despite the great idea of introducing lesser-known mythical creatures to kids, the execution leaves much to be desired.

Thank you to NetGalley and 8th Circle for the ARC! This was such an adorable read. Mothman is my favorite cryptid, and I couldn’t pass up giving this a read. The story was so much fun - I loved the idea of Mothman being helpful to his community and the inclusion of the other famous cryptids like Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil. I would definitely recommend this book for parents of spooky little ones in my life!

A cute Halloween 🎃 book. My son enjoyed it and I loved reading it to him. Perfect for your little ones, and Halloween lovers.

Another entertaining addition to Andrew Shaffers kitschy cryptid comics. Fun, funny, and sure to scratch that itch for those who love cryptids. Perfect for spooky season!

If you’re looking for a cute story to introduce your young ones to Mothman, look no further than Mothman’s Happy Cryptid Halloween! This book has everything you’d need to entertain your little cryptid lover and get them into the mood for Halloween. The cute illustrations really bring this story to life. Could not recommend this book enough!

adorable!! super cute and loved it. very light hearted and made me smile. I love mothman and this story made me love this version of mothman even more. I mean mothman and Halloween what’s not to like!!

My daughter loved this story. It’s cute and fun. We read it a couple of times. Mothman was definitely her favourite with Nessie a close second.

This is such an adorable book. If my son was still young enough I would be reading this to him. Alas, he is 17. *le sigh* The art in this is so cute. The Mothman.... adorbs! His friends...... even adorbs'ider. Yes, that's a word. I made it up, so it is now a word. We have Nessie, Bigfoot and my FAVORITE.... The New Jersey Devil. Plus more. This will be such a cute little book to read to children for Halloween.

Thank you Netgalley and 8th Circle for the opportunity to read Mothman’s Happy Cryptid Halloween in exchange for my honest review.

This is a super cute Halloween story for children who like scary, but still want to sleep at night! This is a simple, quick read that will have you laughing. The illustrations are quirky, quickly making you love the style. This was a really fun read, but I wish it had been a tad longer. Maybe for more selfish reasons, that I didn’t want it to end! Mothman is a great character and I’m glad to see him getting some love with several books!

This was an adorable read, a perfect Halloween story for kids who don't mind scary, but don't want things to be TOO scary. The drawings are adorable and the humor in the book will appeal to kids and adults alike!

"Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween" by Andrew Shaffer is a delightful and whimsical romp through a cryptid-filled Halloween adventure that promises fun and laughter for readers of all ages. The book is filled with delightful illustrations that complement the whimsical tone of the story, adding an extra layer of charm to the reading experience. These visuals help to immerse readers in the fantastical world Shaffer has created, making it easy to get lost in the Halloween fun. Overall, it is a joyful and entertaining read that captures the spirit of Halloween with a unique cryptid twist.

Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween is an adorable illustrated children's book for the youngest readers written by Andrew Shaffer. Due out 6th Aug 2024, it's 42 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.

What a fun, quirky, and humorous holiday themed romp for all ages! Everyone knows how much fun it is trick or treating at Halloween. Farmer Mothman is excited that all the kids will be coming to his pumpkin farm for pumpkins to carve and for trick or treating. He's ready with pumpkins and candy. He's even put on his Haloween costume. Things don't always go as planned, unfortunately, so he enlists the other (adorable!) cryptids to help him with his backup plan. This is certainly aimed a young audience, but it's charming and fun for everyone. The illustrations are simple but colorful and full of humorous small details. There's a series of planned holiday themed books, this is the second. The next one slated for release is a Valentine's Day adventure for Mothman and friends.

Five stars. It would make a good choice for public or school library acquisition as well as home use and gift giving purposes. Definitely worth a look.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was adorable from beginning to end! Mothman has a farm and tries to have a great Halloween for the children in town but something happens so the event doesn't go as planned. I loved the story, it was simple but it also was fun! I thought it was great that Mothman tried getting some of his cryptid friends to help out with his Halloween plans. Mothman looks cute and so do the rest of the illustrations! I cannot wait for more holidays for Mothman to celebrate on his farm!

I love all the cryptid love that children's lit has been getting over the past few years!

This story isn't scary at all. It's just silly Halloween fun kids will love.

I absolutely love these books [and was so happy to see more are coming]; they are hilarious [make sure you pay attention to details you might otherwise overlook], filled with amazing, brightly colored illustrations, and a great story of kidness, even if it does seem to go a bit awry at first.

This book also tells a story about how it is very okay to be different [even Mothman is a bit different from his fellow cryptids], and also how working together is often the very best way to solve problems [and how sometimes what seems to be a ginormous problem, ends up being absolutely fantastic].

Very well done!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrew Shaffer, and 8th Circle for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The mothman books are quickly become one of my children's favorite series. I have a deep love for cryptids and am happy to have this series to introduce them into this small niche of the world. I loved the bright vibrant illustrations and the cute little misadventure. I can't wait to add a hard copy to our collection.

This book was a super cute Halloween story.

With rain in the forecast, Mothman tries to save Halloween after the weather clears up by delivering pumpkins across the town with help from some of his friends.

Stay tuned for after the stories ending for information about each of the monsters. You may learn something new!

Illustrations are fun and colorful.

This was incredibly cute. My favorite little toddler friend is in love with Halloween so that immediately caught his eye. And cryptids? They're way cool. I love how simple and silly the story is and the illustrations are great (we were big fans of Big Foot and Mothman in his donut costume). My three year old buddy wasn't put off by the story being too long (which is very much a thing with toddlers) and he enjoyed the worstest/bestest Halloween pages - because that's the best part to read in an overexaggerated way! Loved this, totally want to see so much more like it.