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Halloween is the theme for this week's review and I decided right off to include books that have no gore, blood or terrifying scares. What I came up with are delightful, funny and somewhat scary books. Not scary in terms of today's gory movies, but frightening because you're not sure of what's about to happen in the story.
So, I'll start out with the only fiction book in the bunch that is geared for older kids. “The Empty Mirror” , by James Lincoln Collier, is the type of mystery that has the elements of the unknown. There are spine-chilling experiences that Nick has when he first looked at himself in Briggs Pond and found no reflection! Then he hears that he's been seen around town when in fact he's never left his house. Is this a ghost or some supernatural image that seems to be getting Nick in all kinds of trouble? There is much more to this scary mystery including some historical fiction found throughout the book. It's what I call an old fashion ghost story with all of the elements of a great read, but no one gets killed. This is a great read aloud for ages 11 and up.
The rest of the books are picture books and each is humorous and charming. “Good Babies - A Tale of Trolls, Humans, a Witch and a Switch” , by Tim Myers, has a nasty witch creating havoc when she decides to switch human and troll babies from their respective families to see the mess that it creates. The troll family can't believe that their human baby won't eat earthworm soup or play with bones like the rest of the family. The human family can't believe that their new little baby loves to crawl outside in order to take a bath in a mud puddle and loves to chew on rocks. The pictures, by Kelly Murphy, are wonderfully painted and the story reads with invention and fun. This is great for ages 4 through 8.
One of my very favorite pop-up artists is Jan Pienkowski. I reviewed one of my favorite Christmas books of his last year, “The First Noel” . This Halloween, he's created a magnificent version of 3-D with each page, “Haunted House” . The first page has a staircase jump out at you as well as pull-out tabs to make shifty eyes and a door opening ingeniously displaying the ISBN information. Every page will defy your imagination and certainly entertain you! This one is great for all ages.
“Halloween Howls: Holiday Poetry” , selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, is part of the “I Can Read Book” series from HarperCollins publishers. The poems are fun and the illustrations, by Stacey Schuett, are wonderful. This is for beginning readers with some help.
“Skeleton Hiccups” , by Margery Cuyler, is a hilarious simple text about Skeleton waking up to hiccups. The illustrations, by S. D. Schindler, are fun and the text is funnier. This is a great read for ages 3 to 8.
“T. Rex Trick-or-Treat” , by Lois G. Grambling and illustrated by Jack E. Davis, is a cute story about T. Rex trying to decide what to be for Halloween. His dinosaur friends try to help with many suggestions. But you'll have to read this holiday story to find out what he decides to wear for the big event. This is great for ages 3 to 6.
“Awful Ogre's Awful Day” is a poetry journal from the day in the life of a monster. This book is ingeniously written by one of my favorite kid's poets, Jack Prelustsky. This book is rich with fun, witty and entertaining poems taking you into the life of this wretched ogre. The hilarious illustrations, by Caldecott winner Paul O. Zelinsky, perfectly match the rich and lively poems. A great read for all ages!
“One Halloween Night” , by Mark Teague, is the perfect holiday book. Three children have difficulty with their costumes and trick-or-treating. How they deal with the many dilemmas that befall them through the night makes for a great read aloud. And, of course, Mr. Teague's wonderful pictures fill the pages. This is great for ages 3 to 7.
“There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bat!” , by Lucille Colandro and illustrated by Jared Lee, is another fun rendition from the old singing rhyme “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” . This old lady swallows many items related to Halloween. How does she end up with a ghost, an owl, a goblin and more all inside of her? Children of all ages will enjoy this book read aloud to them.
So, enjoy the holiday of dressing up, but don't forget to read one of these great books to go along with Halloween!