Haunted Party

August 31, 2009
One “very busy” ghostly host wearing a bow tie prepares for a party in this fun counting book. When the raucous party guests arrive, they include “3 gruesome goblins, gross and green,” “4 wild werewolves, very hairy” and “8 wretched witches, riding on brooms.” But the most fearsome of all are “10 cute children, sunny and sweet... Politely chanting, 'Trick or Treat!' ” who scare away the various monsters. The guests' outrageous antics and the more-marshmallow-than-menacing host (though it does get one final scare in) make it a good pick for the Halloween-hesitant. Ages 3–6.

August 1, 2009
K-Gr 2-A muted (but nicely contrasted) palette and creepy creatures inhabit this Halloween counting book: "3 gruesome goblins, gross and green, /With pointy ears that aren't too clean, /Enjoy some really mean cuisine/At the haunted house of the ghost." As skeletons boogie, vampires dunk for apples (dexterously speared on their fangs), and mummies play pin the tail on the monster, the ghost host serves ghoulish treats and sweeps up after the voluminously shedding werewolves. The growing melee makes counting each arriving group as challenging as it is entertaining. The party is a rollicking successuntil the arrival of 10 adorable trick-or-treaters, who terrify the guests into a quick countdown as "9 morbid mummies flee and hide./8 wretched witches zoom outside./7 mean monsters tremble with fear./6 ghastly ghouls try to disappear" and so on, right down to the single ghost who has a surprise in store for readers. This funny, warmly illustrated rhyme makes an entertaining choice for holiday storytimes."Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.