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Creepy Carrots | August 31, 2016

Words by Aaron Reynolds and pictures by Peter Brown (Simon & Schuster, 2012)

Like most bunnies, Jasper Rabbit loves carrots—so much that he would eat the carrots that he came across in Crackenhopper Field. But then he gets a weird feeling: something (some things) are following him, and he can’t help but feel that it’s the creepy carrots from the field. Wherever he goes, he sees creepy carrots—on his way home from school, in the bathroom, and even in his own bedroom! His mom and dad reassure him that it’s all in his head, but Jasper is not convinced. That’s when he comes up with a plan: he’ll build a fence around Crackenhopper Field (complete with a moat and alligators!) to prevent the carrots from haunting him. And it works! But little does he know that he’s played right into the carrots’ plans . . .

Alongside an excellent story is amazing art that perfectly suits it. The art is inspired by black-and-white horror films of the 1940s (in fact, the title page looks like a movie screen), and the only color throughout is the orange color of the carrots. In addition, there are objects throughout (a rubber duck, a towel, a paint can, and more) that share this orange color, signifying to young readers that Jasper mistakes these objects for creepy carrots. Perhaps it really is all in his head! (But you’ll have to get to the end to find out.) It’s a very clever way to use color association to illustrate a very psychological concept. Simultaneously creepy and playful—and not to mention an ingenious homage to classic horror films—Creepy Carrots is destined to be a Halloween classic.

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