By Allan Ahlberg (author) Part of the Funnybones series
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Three white-boned skeletons have a great night out when they set forth with the express intention to “frighten somebody”. Big skeleton, little skeleton and dog skeleton live in the dark, dark cellar of a dark, dark house on a dark, dark hill and they set out to scare in a dark, dark night.
Alas, they find everyone, including the animals in the zoo, is asleep but nonetheless they entertain themselves in the playground and enjoy frightening each other instead. The jokey text is full of repetitions making it easy to read while the illustrations provide strong visual clues.
Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here .
A big skeleton, a little skeleton and a dog skeleton live in the dark cellar of a dark house on a dark hill. The skeletons venture out one night to find someone to scare, but everyone is in bed so they amuse themselves by scaring each other and playing with the skeleton animals in the zoo.
Remembering Allan Ahlberg: A Beloved Voice in Children’s Literature
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Allan Ahlberg, one of the UK’s most cherished children’s authors.
Allan, often writing alongside his late wife Janet, gifted generations of young readers with stories full of warmth, humour, and heart.
From the timeless Each Peach Pear Plum to the mischievous Burglar Bill and the tender The Jolly Postman , his books have sparked joy and imagination in millions of homes and classrooms.
His legacy is one of kindness, creativity, and an unwavering respect for children’s intelligence and curiosity. He wrote with clarity, poetry, and an irrepressible sense of fun — always putting young readers first.
At LoveReading4Kids, we celebrate the countless memories his stories have created and the lasting impact he’s had on children's reading lives. Thank you, Allan, for all the magic. You will be missed, but your stories will live on in every shared bedtime read, giggle in the classroom, and child who discovers the wonder of books.
Allan Ahlberg (1938-2025)
As a child Allan was born in Croydon, but grew up in Oldbury in the Black Country. He says that if he hadn't grown up to be a writer, he would have loved to have been a soccer player. As an adult Allan always dreamed of being a writer, but tried his hand at many other jobs before he achieved his ambition. He was a postman, grave-digger, plumber's mate and teacher - it was teaching that gave him such sharp insights into the minds of children, and enabled him to write his perfectly observed poetry about primary school life As an artist Allan has collaborated with many illustrators, including Andre Amstutz, Gillian Tyler and Katharine McEwen, as well as his late wife, Janet Ahlberg (nee Hall) and his daughter Jessica Ahlberg. He has won numerous awards for his books including, the Kurt Maschler Award in 1986, The Children's Book Award in 1987, the Blue Peter Book Award 2001, and The Children's Book Award: Books for Young Children award 2002.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Funnybones and determined it is suitable for children aged 5-6 years old
Funnybones features in the following genres: Recommended Children's eBooks, Recommendations, Featured Books for 5+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Funnybones was written by Allan Ahlberg and published by Penguin Books Ltd
Funnybones has 32 pages
Yes it is part of Funnybones series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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