It's Halloween, Chloe Zoe!

August 1, 2017
Chloe Zoe in back, exploring Halloween's delights with her friends. The anthropomorphic elephant girl is enthusiastic about all that this "autumn tradition" has to offer--carving jack-o-lanterns, apple cider, homemade doughnuts, decorating, wearing a costume, and trick-or-treating--but she's a little leery of the old house on the corner where a friend told her an evil witch lives. Her friends Mary Margaret, a crocodile, and George, a giraffe, try to tell her that witches aren't real, but she's unconvinced. Still, the three have a blast with their families as they go door to door gathering tasty treats and seeing other kids' costumes...until the only house left is the witch's. Chloe Zoe loses her cool, only regaining it with the help of her father's words of wisdom and her brave friends' hands in hers. Smith's artwork incorporates textured papers with lots of competing shapes and patterns, which can sometimes make it difficult to parse the illustrations. Also, with a few exceptions when Chloe Zoe is dealing with her witch fears, the characters' facial expressions are static. It's Thanksgiving, Chloe Zoe! publishes simultaneously; its plot revolves around an inedible pumpkin pie she bakes with Grammy, Grammy's failing eyesight and Chloe Zoe's illiteracy combining to mix cayenne with cinnamon. Doesn't stand out among the many introductions to Halloween's delights. (Picture book. 4-7)

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June 26, 2017
In this sixth book in Smith’s holiday-themed Chloe Zoe series, the returning heroine, a yellow elephant, is excited about Halloween but uncertain about trick-or-treating at the “old, creepy house on the corner,” where she heard an “evil witch” lives. Smith’s collages are far more festive than frightening, and although Chloe Zoe runs away scared when her friends visit the house she’s afraid of, her fears are quickly allayed: its resident, Mrs. Elena, is a cheerful rabbit who is handing out giant candy bars—trick-or-treating gold, as any kid knows. Chloe Zoe’s candid and enthusiastic narration makes this a good choice for Halloween newbies (she walks readers through the basics of the holiday as the story opens). Though the emotional conflicts are laid out somewhat blatantly, the book could easily lead into conversations about fear in general, real dangers versus imagined ones, and unfounded rumors. Ages 4–8. Agent: Nicole Tugeau, T2 Children’s Illustrators.