Sagalino

Halloween story

A Halloween story, from the place where Halloween began

Before pumpkins, there were turnips. Halloween has its roots in Ireland, in the old festival of Samhain, and a story in which your child is the one in the costume fits right in.

Create a Halloween bookHow it works
Read the story for freeNo photo neededeBook from £4.50
Example scene in the Silhouettes style: a child kneeling by a stream with a lit lantern, facing a fox

An example scene, in the Silhouettes style

Read the whole story for free

All 14 double pages, the hero and the cover are yours to see before you buy: you only pay if you love the story.

Photo optional

A short description is enough for a lovely hero. Whether you add a photo is up to you. GDPR-compliant.

Illustration styles to choose from

Many styles from the picture-book tradition, from watercolour to ligne claire, kept from the first page to the last.

Halloween

Samhain, turnips and costumes

Ireland calls itself the home of Halloween.1 The festival goes back to Samhain, celebrated in County Meath, which marked the start of winter and the turning of the year. The first lanterns were carved from turnips, long before pumpkins; people wore disguises to keep spirits away, and bonfires were lit.2

In Ireland, the last Monday in October is a bank holiday, unofficially called the Halloween or Samhain bank holiday: in 2026, Monday 26 October, with Halloween itself on Saturday 31 October.3

A Halloween book can be as spooky or as gentle as your child likes. The story follows your idea: a costume that comes to life, a turnip lantern that shows the way home, a bonfire night with the whole family.

Friends from the trick-or-treat round, brothers and sisters, grandparents, the cat that hides under the table: up to 5 characters can appear. For younger children who find the dark hard, our page on fear of the dark may help too.

You read the whole story for free before you decide. The eBook is ready about half an hour after you buy. The hardcover is delivered to 214 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Canada; in Europe and North America it arrives in up to 13 working days after you approve the finished book.

Three story ideas

  • On Halloween night, the child's turnip lantern starts to glow on its own and leads them to a place nobody has visited for a hundred years.
  • The child's costume comes to life, and the two of them have until midnight to set things right.
  • A bonfire night with the whole family, and an old story told around the fire that turns out to be about the child.

See also Christening, Godparent gift, Letter from Santa. Also worth reading: Fear of the dark. And to read on, all illustration styles and frequently asked questions.

  1. 1.Ireland.ie: Halloween.What it confirms: Ireland as the home of Halloween, with its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain.
  2. 2.Wake Forest University Press: The Irish origins of Halloween, five fun facts about Samhain.What it confirms: Samhain in County Meath marked the start of winter and the new year; carved turnips before pumpkins, disguises to ward off spirits, bonfires.
  3. 3.Office Holidays: October Holiday (Halloween), Ireland.What it confirms: The October bank holiday on the last Monday in October, 26 October in 2026, unofficially called the Halloween or Samhain bank holiday.
How it works

Three steps to your book

No risk: you read the whole story before you pay anything.

  1. 1

    Describe

    30 seconds

    Tell us about the main character in a few words: name, looks, what they love. No photo needed.

  2. 2

    Read for free

    6 to 8 minutes

    We prepare the story, the hero and the cover, and you read everything for free before you decide.

  3. 3

    Give

    eBook £4.50

    Love the story? After you buy, you confirm your characters, then we paint every page in about half an hour. You can order the hardcover at the same time or later, and the eBook price is fully credited.

Create a Halloween book
Prices

Simple and clear

No subscription, no hidden costs, and the preview is always free.

eBook · on screen and as a PDF

£4.50

14 illustrated double pages, ready about half an hour after you buy.

Hardcover · printed in the EU or the US

£37.90+ £5.90 delivery to the United Kingdom

Quality printing in the EU, or in the US for US orders, and the price of your eBook is fully credited.

You read the whole story for free first, and only pay if you love it.

Create a Halloween book
Questions

Good to know

Did Halloween really start in Ireland?

Its roots are in Samhain, an Irish festival that marked the start of winter. The first lanterns were carved from turnips, and people wore disguises and lit bonfires. Ireland calls itself the home of Halloween.

Is the story scary?

Only as much as you want. The story follows your idea: spooky and exciting for older children, gentle and cosy for the youngest.

When is the Halloween bank holiday in Ireland?

On the last Monday in October. In 2026 that's Monday 26 October; Halloween itself falls on Saturday 31 October.

Will the book be ready in time?

The eBook is ready about half an hour after you buy. The hardcover is printed once you approve the finished book and delivered to 214 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Canada; order it a few weeks before the end of October.

You read the story first, and pay afterwards

Preview in 6 to 8 minutes. Free. Photo optional.

Create a Halloween book