Monsters are the one Halloween guest that can look like anything at all. Some are goofy enough to make a toddler giggle, and some have so many eyes you'd lose count trying to stare back. The page starts with the friendliest monsters for little ones and gets creepier as you scroll down.
The word monster comes from the Latin word monstrum, which meant an omen or warning sign. Long ago, people thought a strange creature meant something was about to go wrong! These friendly monsters don't seem to be warning anyone about anything, unless it's that they'd like a hug. The Preschool pages come first, including one labelled with the word itself.
Not every Halloween monster has scales and claws. Some are animals with a spooky twist, and a few are people dressed up as something a little wild for the night...
Stories say that long ago people dressed up on Halloween night so wandering spirits wouldn't recognise them. If you're trying to blend in with a spooky crowd, a monster costume makes a lot of sense, and monsters have been part of Halloween ever since. These ones are a little more detailed and a little less cuddly.
Real animals can have a surprising number of eyes. A spider usually has eight, and a scallop can have up to 200 tiny eyes along the edge of its shell! Monsters with too many eyes give you that creepy feeling of being watched from every direction, which is why they're saved for the bottom of the page.
