Leave the Light On! (PDF)

'Leave the Light On!' is a fun, scary picture story told in rhyme, and was designed to be read out loud with lots of audience participation. There's an easy-to-learn chorus and lots of opportunity for some blood-curdling screams and amateur dramatics. The book explores the things that are traditionally thought of as scary, and shows how our imaginations can get carried away when it's dark. Although the illustrations feature a jack-o-lantern, this book is perfect for any dark night, not just Halloween! Imagination is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it can be our worst enemy. Sometimes, we imagine things to be scary when they are not, and sometimes we imagine things that are not even there. In the dark, our imaginations start working overtime! The plot of this light-hearted story is simple. Four young cousins are staying at their grandparents' house on a stormy night when a lightning strike causes a power cut. Grandma is keen to entertain them by telling scary stories in a strange voice, and she fills their minds with spooky images. We see the cousins' reactions and the different way they imagine things. Who is the bogeyman? What's weird about Grandma's wardrobe? What lives under her bed? Who is knocking on the front door? Aaagh! Does Grandad manage to calm everyone down before bedtime? Read the story and find out (if you dare!). The illustrations are minimalistic - only heads illuminated by the jack-o-lantern are shown. The background is kept black so as to enhance the feeling of spookiness during the power cut, and the lack of detail allows children to 'fill in the blanks' and imagine the complete picture of what is in the darkened room. 'Leave the Light On!' will entertain parents, pre-schoolers, children improving their reading skills, and reluctant readers. It may also spark lots of discussion about the power of our imagination and the sort of things we each find scary.