Halloween is around for only one day each year. But little kids who can’t wait for Halloween to come and who hate to see it go can enjoy its frights, sights and delights anytime through some of the latest picture books with Halloween themes.
Among the titles that have popped up recently is “Mommy?” ($24.95, all ages). Maurice Sendak provided the art for Arthur Yorinks’ scenario about a little boy in a blue onesie and bright red cap who toddles through a haunted house, saying “Mommy?” to everyone he meets.
In this house, though, he has a better chance of finding a “mummy” – which he does, among the other creepy 3-D creatures that emerge in the paper pop-ups engineered by Matthew Reinhart. Unfazed by his ghoulish greeters, the fearless little fellow finally finds his mommy, but not before he runs into a vampire, a wolfman and a one-toothed, green-faced something-or-other.
Another little boy searches through his house when he is awakened by a scary voice that says, “I’m Going To Eat You!” ($10.99, ages 4 to 6).
In this lift-the-flaps book by Matt Mitter, with art by Jimmy Pickering, the boy goes from room to room, opening doors (liftable flaps for the reader) to reveal several scary-looking but innocent creatures. He finally finds the unexpected source of the voice when the kitchen door opens to reveal … Guess whom?
Clifford the Big Red Dog was once a little red puppy. In “Clifford’s First Halloween” ($7.99, age 3 and older), an abridged version of Norman Bridwell’s 1995 book, Emily Elizabeth can’t find a costume for her frisky pup. But little Clifford accidentally finds one on his own and proceeds to scare the daylights out of all the kids at the Halloween party.
Dora can’t decide what to dress up as for Halloween – there are so many good choices! So in “Dora’s Spooky Halloween” ($5.99, ages 2 to 5), she explores the neighborhood, collecting ideas from the friends she meets and from the old broomstick she finds.
What to wear is also a problem in “The Costume Copycat” ($10.99, age 4 and older) by Maryann Macdonald, with pictures by Anne Wilsdorf. Year after year, at trick-or-treat time, Angela’s costume is overshadowed by older sister Bernadette’s – that is, until one Halloween when Bernadette has to stay home with chicken pox.
In “Behind the Mask” ($16, ages 4 to 8) by Yangsook Choi, a Korean-American boy named Kimin decides to trick-or-treat as his grandfather after he finds the “tal” (mask) Grandpa wore as a mask dancer in his native Korea. The mask not only provides Kimin with inspiration for his costume, but also holds a wonderful surprise for him.
“Trick or Treat!” ($4.99, age 2 and older) by Melissa Arps, with art by Hector Borlasca, is a board book shaped like a jack-o’-lantern with a black carrying string. It tells the story of a young trick-or-treater dressed as a cowboy who’s sharing his goodies with all the “monsters” he meets on his rounds. But – and keep this under your hat — he has saved some treats for himself in a secret hiding place.
It’s no news when someone is scared by a ghost. But when ghosts are scared – well, that’s news. Dirk Bones, skeleton and ace reporter for The Ghostly Tombs, investigates the strange doings in “Dirk Bones and the Mystery of the Haunted House” ($15.99, ages 4 to 8) by Doug Cushman.
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