Daniel Postgate (illus)
Walker Books
Age 5-7
An old woman, whilst out picking beans, finds some peculiar treasure… a hairy toe! She decides to take it home but doesn’t expect the owner to come looking for it late that night…with scary results.
This traditional American folktale is humorously illustrated and is a spooky dramatic read, especially at Halloween.
Daniel Postgate’s children’s book, The Hairy Toe, is gaining unexpected attention beyond its primary audience. While the book itself is an engaging and imaginative tale for children, it has found a unique connection with online casino players. The Hairy Toe captivates with its eerie and adventurous story, elements that have resonated surprisingly well with the world of online casinos. The book’s blend of suspense and whimsy parallels the excitement found in the best playtech casino, where players experience a mix of thrill and anticipation with every game. The storytelling style of Postgate mirrors the dynamic atmosphere of these online platforms, drawing a curious link between children’s literature and casino entertainment. Playtech Casinos are renowned for their innovative gaming experiences, featuring a variety of themes and narratives that engage players. Just as The Hairy Toe enchants with its mysterious plot, Playtech Casinos captivate users with their diverse game themes and immersive storylines. This similarity in engaging narratives has created an interesting crossover appeal, where the excitement of a well-told story translates into the excitement of casino gameplay.
Share the story
Read aloud
Before reading the story, encourage children to look at the cover and to talk about what they see. What kind of story do they think it will be? Why do they think that? Then read through the story using your voice to add to the scary atmosphere, and talk about the pictures at the turn of the page. Pause just before the end of the story to ask children what they imagine will happen next.
Join in
As you read and reread the book, encourage children to join in, especially with the repeated phrases. They will be able to read more by themselves as you reread the book together.
Talk about the story
Scary stories help children to cope with their fears within the safety of a fictional world. Talk together about which part of the story children like best and why. What scares them and why?
Tell the story
Using the pictures in the book, children can retell the story in their own words.
Watch the story
From Christine Hsu
Things to make and do
Record the story
Children can practise telling the story and make a recording, with sound effects to make it really scary. They can play it to their friends and family at night by torchlight.
Act the story
Children can dress up and make a hairy toe storyprop to act out the story as they tell it. Play it to friends and upload to YouTube!
Make a story box
Using a shoebox, children can decorate the inside to make a scary scene, such as a creepy old house, a castle dungeon, a dark forest. Add objects which have scary potential and use to tell scary stories, eg toy cat or wolf/monster/hat/mask/fang/ghost/a pretend toe or finger, potion or candle/a key.
Children can add or remove objects to make different stories.
Tell a scary story
Sit in a circle with friends and/or family to make up your own scary stories. You can build a scary atmosphere by sitting in the dark with torches.
Draw the scariest monster
Talk together about what makes something scary. Children can draw and label their own scariest monster using pens, crayons, charcoal or paints.
Find out more
Find more books by Daniel Postgate, author/illustrator:
Big Mum Plum
Smelly Bill
Kevin Saves the World
Find other scary stories:
As well as the scary stories in this section you might like to look out for:
A Dark, Dark Tale, Ruth Brown
In the Night Kitchen, Maurice Sendak
The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams
Fairy tales by Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen
Older children might enjoy The Witches, Roald Dahl
Find more videos
Video of Hairy Toe – see retelling here (forward to 3.50 to start) and watch an animation by children here with very scary sound effects!
Follow us on Facebook
Follow @lovemybooksUK
Follow lovemybooksUK15