Halloween-ready kids are not only dressed in spooky attire ready for treats, they are ready for a good creepy story. Following are a few of my favorites for reading aloud and one for a spine-tingling read-alone:
"ONCE UPON A TWICE," by Denise Doyen, illustrated by Barry Moser, Random, $16.99
Doyen spins a dark and vivid tale of Jam Mouse, who disobeys and takes himself on a moonlight adventure. With text reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky," the mice go on a "scoutaprowl" and "runtunnelled" as they "whispercroon." The lilt of the text is enchanting as Jam is warned by the "knot of mice," "Renounce Jam-foolery! Go home and stay!" Much later, with whiskers grown long and as Keeper-of-the-Song, Jam tells of his adventure but always with a "Be forewarned!"
Moser's remarkable dark images, back-lighted by the moon, make this a book for reading the whole year around.
"THE SPIDER AND THE FLY," by Tony DiTerlizzi, Simon and Shuster, $16.99, A Caldecott Honor Book
Slim and sedate Miss Fly, in 1930s era garb, enters Spider's evil web in this old cautionary tale by Mary Howitt. She pleads and cries but, in the end, is shrouded in web, thick and white. Again, as in the Doyen book, there is a "take a lesson" in the text. DiTerlizzi's gray-and-white illustrations are full of detail that will encourage a "read-and-look-again" to a timeless classic.
"THERE WAS AN OLD MONSTER!" by Rebecca, Adrian and Ed Emberley, Orchard, $16.99
No one does big, splashy colors like the Emberleys. They've delighted us with wonderful books in the past, and this one will be another favorite. "There was an old monster who swallowed a tick./ I don't know why he swallowed the tick/ 'cause it made him sick."
The age-old tale is once again revived to delight children with rhyme and nonsense. An added feature is music that can be downloaded to accompany the zany and fun story.
"BOO TO YOU!" by Lois Ehlert, S&S Beach Lane, $17.99
Ehlert's recognizable art form of bright collage paper, photos and string features a fold-out page where animals, except the cat, of course, are invited for a harvest feast. The author's page explaining her printing process and the use of collage with photos adds to the depth of this prize-winning artist's work.
"BOO WHO? A Foldout Halloween Adventure," by Lola Schaefer, photos by Michael Frost, Little Simon, $7.99 ; and "J IS FOR JACK-O'-LANTERN: A Halloween Alphabet," by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Donald Wu, "Sleeping Bear," $17.95.
"Boo Who?" is a guess-the-costume book with rhymes that give clues to the dress-up of each child out trick-or-treating. This board book will be examined over and over by tiny hands.
The alphabet book is from a seasonal series that provides simple word identification as well as in-depth information for each letter. With added recipes and notes, "J is for Jack-o'-Lantern" is appropriate for both younger and older readers.
"HALF-MINUTE HORRORS," edited by Susan Rich, HarperCollins $12.99
More than 70 authors have contributed to a collection of tales, some as short as two lines of humor, others a few terrifying pages. Ghoulish pictures are sprinkled throughout with such titles as "The Creeping Hand," "Death Rides a Pink Bicycle" and "The Shadow."
"Half-Minute Horrors" is just right for fall campfires, family sharing and classroom read-alongs. (Recommended for 10 and older)