The Skeleton
& the Chocolate Chip Cookie
The Skeleton and the Chocolate Chip Cookie — book cover with hand-painted cookies on a wooden tray, rope border, by Andrew Scott

A Halloween picture book

The Skeleton
and the
Chocolate Chip Cookie

by Andrew Scott · illustrated by V. Khromatidi

A father made it up at bedtime. His daughter’s grandmother painted it. The whole story →

A hungry skeleton, a tray of ooey-gooey cookies cooling on a witch's windowsill, and three Halloween friends with very clever ideas. But there's an even better way to get a cookie.

$29.99
Signed by the author Hardcover · Free US shipping
Get Your Signed Copy

In stock now · Ships within 1–2 business days

Peek Inside

Watercolor illustrations on every spread, framed by a hand-painted golden rope.

A skeleton standing in a moonlit cemetery on Halloween night A friendly red-haired witch in her cottage kitchen with a tray of cookies The skeleton meets a mummy on a tombstone under the full moon The skeleton meets a caped vampire by a stone crypt The skeleton and a smiling ghost float through a meadow The witch hands the skeleton a cookie from a woven basket

The Story

One Halloween night, a hungry skeleton smells fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies cooling on a witch's windowsill.

A mummy slides under the door. A vampire becomes a bat and flies down the chimney. A ghost floats right through the wall. The skeleton has no bandages to unravel, no wings to grow, and no way through closed doors…

So he tries something none of them thought of. He walks up to the door. He knocks. He asks politely.

A gentle bedtime story for ages 3–8 about kindness, courage, and the power of simply asking.

Before it was a book, it was a bedtime story

Andrew Scott made this story up out loud, at bedtime, for his daughter Vitalina Rose. The hungry skeleton, the mummy, the vampire, the ghost — he invented them one night and gave each of them a voice. Then he told it again. And again, the way you do when a child asks for the same story every night.

It was a performance long before it was a manuscript, which is the reason it reads aloud the way it does. Every line in this book has been tested on the only audience that never pretends to be interested.

When it was finally written down, Vitalina’s grandmother, V. Khromatidi, painted it — every watercolor spread by hand, each one bordered by a golden rope she painted herself.

A father who made it up, a grandmother who painted it, and the little girl it’s dedicated to. Three generations of one family made this book.

Dedication page: For Our Daughter Vitalina Rose. Illustrated by V. Khromatidi.

Order a Signed First Printing

$29.99
per signed hardcover · free shipping

Secure checkout by Stripe. In stock — your signed copy ships within 1–2 business days. Email sales@theskeletonbook.com with any questions.

Free Activity Book

Fifteen printable pages from the story — colour the skeleton, the mummy, the vampire, the ghost and the witch, all drawn from V. Khromatidi’s original watercolours, plus a maze, connect the dots, a word search and a word scramble. Answers in the back.

Download the Activity Book (PDF)

Free to print and share. No email required.

Questions

When will the book ship?

It’s in stock and shipping now. Orders go out within 1–2 business days — we’ll email you a tracking number the moment yours ships.

Is it really signed by the author?

Yes — every copy is hand-signed by Andrew Scott before shipping.

What ages is the book for?

Ages 3–8. Best read aloud at bedtime, around Halloween, or any time someone in the house needs a little encouragement to ask for what they want.

Do you ship internationally?

Not yet — this first printing is US only. Email us if you're outside the US and we'll let you know when international shipping opens.

Can I return it?

All sales are final. If your book arrives damaged we'll replace it free of charge. Just email sales@theskeletonbook.com with a photo.