Jimmy Fallon Wants to Get Readers Excited About New Halloween Book: ‘Makes a Good Gift’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Jimmy Fallon and the cover of ‘5 More Sleeps ‘Til Halloween’.Photo:Courtesy of NBC; Macmillian

Courtesy of NBC; Macmillian

Macmillian

“They can’t wait for Halloween, and they can’t go to sleep, and they’re excited and nervous,” Fallon says, of the book’s main characters. “What’s it going to be like? Is it going to be scary? Is it going to be fun?”

Fallon, a bestselling children’s author, wrote the book as a sequel to his Christmas-themed picture book,5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas. He says that he’s already read5 More Sleeps ‘Til Halloweento his daughters Winnie, 11, and Frances, 9, who he shares with wifeNancy Juvonen.“They’re already tired of it,” Fallon jokes. “They’re like, ‘Dad, please do something else.’” Despite having heard the story many times, Fallon says that the book incorporates a new Halloween tradition that’s popular amongst his daughters, called “booing.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!“Before Halloween, you can go to someone’s house, you put candy on their doorstep, you ring the bell and run away,” Fallon says. “And then you hide in the bush and then watch your prank.”5 More Sleeps ‘Til Halloweenalso delves into some favorite Halloween traditions, like dressing up. Fallon says that his family prepares for the holiday early, with his wife making their daughters’ costumes months in advance.

Jimmy Fallon and his family.Instagram/jimmyfallon

Instagram/jimmyfallon

“I think our best costume was a bunch of white yarn and a ball around it … we cut out pieces of felt, like an egg, and some green circles … she went [as] a ramen noodle soup,” he says.

Fallon had his own memorable costume experiences as a kid too.“I remember it was Batman, and I went up to the stoop of some stranger’s house, and I jumped off to pretend [I could] fly, and I just ripped the costume completely in, like, four pieces because it was so cheap,” Fallon recalls. “By the end, I was just wearing a kind of flowy garbage bag … It started out as Batman, but with no mask and ripped plastic, I went [as] a ripped garbage bag.”

The host says that his family has rules surrounding Halloween as well, particularly when it comes to candy.“With our kids, we kind of freely have candy around the house,” Fallon says. “They don’t make a big deal out of it. They like it, but when it’s Halloween, they have to tell us [if it’s] too much.”

Jimmy Fallon.Cindy Ord/Getty

Cindy Ord/Getty

“We have bowls and bowls of candy that they have, and we just share with everybody because we can’t eat it all,” he adds.In addition to his book, Fallon is welcoming spooky season with another festive event: his interactive horror maze experience,Tonightmares, which opens Sept. 20 in New York City. The event brings Fallon’s worst nightmares to life.

“There’s a scarecrow that is nasty,” he says. “It’s the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen. And I tell you, there’s jokes in there too. But get ready.”

When it comes to giving out treats for Halloween, Fallon plans to use the opportunity to celebrate his new book.“I think I’m going to give the book out to kids,” he says. “But I’m also going to make sure I give candy as well, because I don’t want to get egged.”

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5 More Sleeps ‘Til Halloweenwill hit shelves on Sept. 3 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com