Are you looking for some chilling tales to read before bedtime this October? We’ve gathered up a collection of creepy cuentos that will give you goosebumps and send shivers down your spine (Arte Público is not responsible for any scary dreams)!
Brujas, lechuzas y espantos / Witches, Owls and Spooks
In this bilingual collection of five stories, Don Cecilio tells the neighborhood children stories that make their hair stand on end. “In my barrio they told the story…” and so his cuento would begin. In “The Owl and the Bundle,” young Tomás disappears without a trace. Distraught, his parents and siblings look for him everywhere with no luck. Upon returning home, his father sees something curious, an owl flying above the house carrying a bundle with its talons. “Is it possible,” he wonders, “that the bundle is Little Tomás?” Could the owl have taken their precious son?
Based on oral tradition, these stories featuring witches, owls, and other spooky creatures have been told in Spanish-speaking barrios for generations. Now, this new edition with a first-ever English translation provided by John Pluecker will entertain and terrify a new generation of English- and Spanish-speaking children with the supernatural tales of the Hispanic community.
Originally published in Spanish in 1972 as La Lechuza: Cuentos de mi barrio (The Naylor Company), Brujas, lechuzas y espantos / Witches, Owls and Spooks will fascinate children interested in scary stories and at the same time will provide a window into a different time and place, when people lived a more rural life and winged shadows flitted across the darkened countryside.
The Ghostly Rider and Other Chilling Stories
A collection of scary tales to thrill and entertain young people. Nieves readies to go home on the night of a full moon. His journey will take him through a vacant meadow where one old-timer insists he met the cold stare of death. Nieves says, “I shall give Lady Death your regards, old man,” as he prepares to ride away. As Nieves turns into the dark night, both he and the reader who rides with him feel their throat gripped with dread.
In this debut collection of stories of the bizarre, the folk legends of a community raise their heads, sometimes even from the grave. The spooks are all here: Lady Death, the Ghostly Rider, and their other dead—and in some cases deadly—friends. But it doesn’t stop there: shape-shifters, the devil, and monsters galore invite the reader to a ghastly party.
Moreno-Hinojosa threads together the cuentos viejos, the stories told by the fire before the television captured imaginations in visual images. These chilling tales transport the reader to another place and time, before electric lights and highways, and when shadows drifted across an unlit countryside.
Kid Cyclone Fights the Devil and Other Stories/Kid Ciclón se enfrenta a el Diablo y otras historias
Cousins Maya and Vincent are thrilled to be ring side at a lucha libre match. Kid Cyclone, the wrestling world’s favorite hero who also happens to be the kids’ beloved uncle, is facing off against a devil-masked opponent, El Diablo. “No masked devil can beat my uncle. Not even the real devil himself,” declares Maya. But the real devil doesn’t take kindly to such disrespect, and soon Kid Cyclone finds himself fighting the most hellish challenger of all!
Popular kids’ book author Xavier Garza returns with another collection of stories featuring spooky characters from Mexican-American folklore. There’s a witch that takes the shape of a snake in order to poison and punish those who disregard her warnings; green-skinned, red-eyed creatures called chupacabras that suck the blood from wild pigs, but would just as soon suck the blood from a human who has lost his way in the night; a young girl disfigured in a fire set by a scorned lover who gets her revenge as the Donkey Lady; and the Elmendorf Beast, said to have the head of a wolf with skin so thick it’s impervious to shotgun blasts.
Accompanied by the author’s striking illustrations of the creepy creatures, the hair-raising stories in this bilingual collection for kids ages 8 – 12 are sure to lure even the most reluctant readers into its pages.
Creepy Creatures and Other Cucuys
Have you ever been too scared to sleep with the lights off? Were you frightened by a scratching sound inside of your walls or the beady red eyes and knotted green fingers of a duende? In his first collection of scary stories, Xavier Garza asks us these questions.
The stories in this collection curdle with the creepy and crawling characters of traditional folklore. These stories brim with the supernatural: the mysterious disappearance of children who made deals with duendes, evil trolls who live inside the walls of our houses; the ghostly specter of La Llorona who floats along the creek bed, howling, “¡Ay, mis hijos!”; witches that turn into great white owls; a severed hand that hurtles across floors and catches a death grip; and even the Devil himself harvesting wayward souls.
These are all cucuys, supernatural beings who have come to haunt the imagination in these tales of wonder and warning. These delicious and frightful stories come down through generations of grandmas teaching children to respect the laws of nature and the All Powerful.
These particular spooky cucuys are recounted and illustrated by master storyteller Xavier Garza, just the way he heard them at the knees of other masters when he was growing up in South Texas. Garza has preserved just the right gory detail and startling surprise to frighten the socks off you. And he always insists that you learn your lesson and take heed, or else …
Joey is excited and nervous about the school dance because Marlen, the love of his life, has agreed to be his date. But Joey has heard rumors that she might be meeting someone else, and as he waits for her to show up he can’t help but worry the gossip may be true. Sure enough, a suave, well-dressed stranger asks Marlen to dance before Joey can even get to her. And soon the handsome couple is burning up the dance floor literally!
In this collection of stories based on Mexican-American lore, author and educator Rene Saldaña, Jr. spins age-old tales with a contemporary twist. Lauro and Miguel run for their lives with La Llorona’s cold breath on their necks after being caught smoking cigarettes down by the river. There’s Felipe, who’s so determined to win back the Penitas Grand Master Marble Champion title that he’s willing to make a deal for a shooter with a supernatural edge. And when Louie’s leg swells up after he cuts his toe playing with a knife, he can’t help but wonder if his mom’s warning could be true. Are his guts really going to spill out of his wound because he cut himself doing something stupid?
Set in the author’s native South Texas, these are the stories parents have told their children for generations to discourage bad behavior and encourage kids to stay close to home. But Saldaña breathes new life into these traditional tales with contemporary settings, issues and conflicts that are sure to resonate with today’s youth.
Juan and the Chupacabras / Juan y el chupacabras
“The beast had dark green skin and glowing red eyes that were the size of two baseballs,” Abuelo tells his wide-eyed grandchildren. According to Abuelo, a creature called the Chupacabras lurks in the fields looking for fresh victims.
Young Juan and his cousin Luz savor Abuelo’s hair-raising stories. He tells the children of defeating terrifying fiends like the Chupacabras and La Llorona. The children cling to every word as he describes his brave stand-off with the Chupacabras, a terrifying beast with wings, claws and sharp fangs.
But yet they wonder if there’s more to his strange story than meets the eye. Plucky Luz hatches a plan to either disprove Abuelo’s tale or hunt down the menacing monster and put an end to it once and for all. Armed with a bag of marbles dipped in holy water and a slingshot, the children venture into a cornfield one moonless night in search of the truth.
Just like Chupacabras’s thirst for blood and the children’s appetite for Abuelo’s stories, young readers aged 3-7 will devour the pages of this exciting picture book that transmits the storytelling traditions of the Mexican-American community from one generation to the next.
Zulema and the Witch Owl / Zulema y la Bruja Lechuza
Zulema Ortiz is the meanest little girl in the whole wide world. She doesn’t have any friends, animals run away from her in fear, and her mom doesn’t know what to do with her. But maybe, just maybe, her almost ninety-year-old Grandma Sabina does.
When Grandma Sabina comes to live with the family, the first thing Zulema says to her is, “You sure look old and ugly.” Grandma Sabina calmly warns her rude granddaughter about the Witch Owl who prowls the night looking for mean little children, but Zulema just laughs defiantly at such a preposterous story. Nothing scares her because she’s the meanest child in the world!
So when she gets into bed one night and something begins to tap at her window, Zulema isn’t afraid at first. She’s mad. “Nobody plays tricks on me. Only I can play tricks!” But as the noise at her window continues, the insolent little girl begins to lose her bravado. And when a huge owl with glowing red eyes smashes through the window and swoops into her room, Zulema is ready to agree to its demands—even if it means promising to be nice!
In this exciting story about the consequences of being mean to others, Zulema learns something about herself and possibly her grandmother too. The imagination of children ages 4-9 will soar with this fun, suspenseful story by acclaimed author and artist Xavier Garza, whose knack for storytelling and creating lively illustrations captures the spirit of naughty Zulema.
Do You Know the Cucuy? / ¿Conoces al cucuy?
“The Cucuy is a tall, furry, three-eyed, four-armed monster with a mouth full of huge teeth,” Papo tells his granddaughter. And, he warns, if she doesn’t behave, the Cucuy will take her away!
She used to be afraid of the Cucuy, until one day she meets him and learns that he is not the frightful beast her grandfather described. Instead, he’s cute and likes to play. His fur is blue, and his teeth are small. He may not be just like her, but he does have two arms and two eyes. And the Cucuy also likes to play catch, blow bubbles, and eat candy. Best of all, though, the young girl learns that he doesn’t kidnap naughty children!
First-time children’s book author Claudia Galindo and illustrator Jonathan Coombs vividly bring to life a character known to generations of Latino children. Although this time, the Cucuy isn’t a scary monster but instead is a fun playmate.
It’s Bedtime, Cucuy! / ¡A la cama, Cucuy!
Like many human children, Cucuy, the little monster, doesn’t like to go to bed. “I’m not sleepy,” he says. “All I want to do is jump around and play!”
He tries to run and hide, but Mamá manages to get him into his pajamas. Every night he kicks and screams, wiggles and jiggles, mumbles and grumbles. He’s hungry, he’s thirsty. He needs to go to the bathroom. But Mamá won’t give in. “Tomorrow you will have a whole new day to jump around and play,” she tells her little monster, until finally he … drifts … off … to … sleep.
Children ages 3 to 7 will delight in the travails of poor Cucuy, the little monster who doesn’t like to go to sleep. And they might just see themselves as Cucuy protests but ultimately does fall asleep. Author Claudia Galindo and illustrator Jonathan Coombs once again collaborate on an entertaining picture book for children.
The Cucuy Stole My Cascarones / El Coco me robó los cascarones
Mighty Monster Mysteries! Roberto and his mother made thirty dozen confetti-filled eggs, or cascarones, for his birthday party. Roberto can’t wait to crack the hollowed, painted and confetti-stuffed eggs over his friends’ heads. But, when he goes to the kitchen to get the cascarones, they’re gone! The only clue they ever existed is a trail of confetti that leads to a shadow. The shadow of the cucuy, or boogeyman!
A party isn’t a party without cascarones. So, even though the cucuy has scary eyes, sharp claws and pointy fangs, Roberto resolves to get them back. He grabs his little red wagon with the squeaky wheels and follows the trail of confetti, only to discover the tamales, cake and pinata for his party also have been swiped by the cucuy!
Children ages 4 to 8 will follow along in breathless anticipation as brave Roberto conquers his fears and sets out to get his party back. Author Spelile Rivas and illustrator Valeria Cervantes team up again in this engaging sequel to their award-winning debut, No Time for Monsters / No hay tiempo para monstruos.
No Time for Monsters / No hay tiempo para monstruos
Like many human children, Cucuy, the little monster, doesn’t like to go to bed. “I’m not sleepy,” he says. “All I want to do is jump around and play!”
He tries to run and hide, but Mamá manages to get him into his pajamas. Every night he kicks and screams, wiggles and jiggles, mumbles and grumbles. He’s hungry, he’s thirsty. He needs to go to the bathroom. But Mamá won’t give in. “Tomorrow you will have a whole new day to jump around and play,” she tells her little monster, until finally he … drifts … off … to … sleep.
Children ages 3 to 7 will delight in the travails of poor Cucuy, the little monster who doesn’t like to go to sleep. And they might just see themselves as Cucuy protests but ultimately does fall asleep. Author Claudia Galindo and illustrator Jonathan Coombs once again collaborate on an entertaining picture book for children.