‘All Hallows’ Eve’: A New Picture Book by Anthony DeStefano

Susan Ciancio reviews a new book to help children understand the truth about sin, Heaven, hell, and purgatory. 

All Hallows' Eve

By Anthony DeStefano; illustrated by Erwin Madrid

Published by Sophia Institute Press

As an avid reader, writer, editor, and former homeschooling mom, I have made it a lifetime goal to find quality books, especially for my kids. Quality books about the Catholic faith were always high on my list, and if I still had young children, All Hallows’ Eve by Catholic author Anthony DeStefano would be at the top of that list for fall reading.  

For years, DeStefano has delighted children with stories about the faith. His newest release, just in time for Hallowtide, may just be his best yet. 

A Frightful Halloween Night 

Beginning with the words “TOMB it may concern: Halloween does not belong to the secular culture—it belongs to Christians!” this children’s book melds a little bit of spookiness for the season with the truth about purgatory and sin. It’s a lesson that even young kids can understand. Indeed, it’s a lesson that they need to understand. 

In a world saturated with the false claim that all you have to do to get to Heaven is be “nice,” DeStefano, through his charming rhyming narrative, explains the truth about sin, Heaven, hell, and purgatory. 

All Hallows’ Eve, masterfully illustrated by Erwin Madrid, begins as four young friends hope to enjoy a Halloween night filled with “tales of ghouls and ghosts and all the things that scared” them the most. Standing in front of the oldest tomb they could find in a local cemetery, the kids attempt to scare each other with spooky stories. 

But as the kids tell their tales, they are startled by a woman who suddenly appears. She’s holding a light and a broom and is repeating the words “I have to sweep; I have to pray.”  

When she sees the kids, she tells them she is not to be feared and explains that she visits the cemetery every Halloween to “keep the tombstones clean.” She then identifies herself as Hulga May and lovingly chastises them for telling scary tales in front of the gravestones. She explains that they must pray for and respect the dead.  

Not really understanding what she means, the kids ask for clarification. And so Hulga May tells them of purgatory, “where some spirits have to wait before they enter Heaven’s gate.” 

Hulga May then speaks of sin, teaching a lesson that all must learn:

Our sinning leaves a mark, a mark that makes our spirits dark.
And when we sin time after time, our souls are stained with dirt and grime.

The kids ask if she knows someone who has been to purgatory. This prompts Hulga May to tell the story of a woman so spoiled and focused on material things that she cared little for human beings. As a child, she was “selfish, vain, and rich,” and as an adult, she continued these selfish ways, causing her to grow old alone and become sad and bitter. 

But one night, a special visitor changed her heart, and from that moment on, she lived her life differently.  

However, Hulga May explained, though God is merciful and forgave her of her sins, she still had to atone, so she went to purgatory until her soul was spotless enough to enter Heaven. 

Hulga May then encouraged the kids to pray for the souls in purgatory, and when she departed, the kids made a shocking discovery. 

The Importance of Atonement 

The valuable lesson taught throughout these pages — that those who are in purgatory will eventually get to Heaven and that they need our prayers and our sacrifices — is one that all kids should learn and integrate into their prayer lives.  

Until we die and meet God, we have no idea how long some souls are in purgatory. And we have no idea how long we ourselves will be there. What we do know is that those who have the stain of sin on their souls must spend some time atoning for them.  

This is a crucial lesson for kids to learn, as it makes them cognizant of the fact that they are responsible for their actions and that their actions have consequences. While God forgives all those who sincerely seek forgiveness, He will not allow us into Heaven if we have not atoned for our sins. 

All Hallows’ Eve is a beautiful and fun way to teach kids about sin and personal responsibility, and it serves as a reminder that the souls in purgatory need our daily prayers. This book is the brilliant wake-up call that kids — and adults — need as we examine our behaviors here on earth. Parents will enjoy reading this compelling story to their children again and again, as it will engender the theological discussions that form the foundation that kids need as they grow and develop into faithful adults. 

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Copyright 2025 Susan Ciancio
Images: (top) detail from cover