I love holidays, but Halloween is my favorite. Halloween gives me an excuse to decorate without being teased, but that's not why it's preferred. I love it, because, it's fun. For us, Halloween is about community, and coming together to share, and make new friends. As a result, my library of haunting books grows every year. Halloween Night was added to our collection a couple of years ago, and it remains a superstar today.
“Hunched on a fence,
howling sounds you can’t miss,
who can wake everyone
with a screech and a hiss?”
Turn the page… “I can, said the cat.”
This is Who Done It, for trick or treater's. The question and answer format follows from beginning to end, and if my kid's reaction is typical of the age group, it will surely please others. Each image is a 2-page spread, with the answers on the following page; however, if you look closely, clues to the answers are painted into the scenes. My son was 3 1/2 when I found this gem, and he squealed every time he correctly guessed the characters: a witch, a spider, a jack-o-lantern, a ghost, a scarecrow, an owl, a skeleton, a bat, and a cat. If a book is going to amuse a 3-year old as much as this one does, it's a winner in my eyes.
I'm drawn to books with fabulous illustrations, but I'm often discouraged by the texts. Halloween Night has a playful rhythm that flows, yet, recognizes it's target market. Arden Druce, the author, doesn't overreach, and she is wonderfully descriptive, “…who can spin shimmering webs with a swirl and a twist?” For a short, 24-page book, this work carries quite an impact. Altogether, there are only 20 sentences, which takes less than 2-minutes to read, but the combination of good writing, and beautifully rendered artwork makes for a fabulous book.
The watercolor illustrations are bright, and colorful. David Wenzel, who illustrated J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Hobbit, has a robust style. The characters leap off the page, and the details are amazing. He goes as far as to paint titles on books, and cracks in the windows of the haunted house. We know the scenes take place at night, but the drawings aren't dark and gloomy as in other Halloween picture books. The scenes are bursting in oranges, yellows, browns, greens, and lots of blues. It really feels like fall.
Young children from 2 to 5 will appreciate this book, for the guessing attributes, and the superb artwork. Adults will like it, because it's fun to read aloud without being scary, or violent. There's no blood, and the skeleton appears to be smiling. My son is now 5, and he still enjoys this book. He studies the illustrations, and asks all sorts of questions, like, “How does a spider spin a web,” and “Do bats really hang upside down when they sleep?” Fortunately, Halloween Night was recently published in paperback form, so it's affordable at $6.99.
Halloween Night will make a brilliant addition to your library.
ISBN: 0-87358-762-6
Rising Moon (2001)
This is an entry into msmorvay's 4th Annual Resurrecting the Oldies Book Write Off.
Additional Halloween Treats:
Monster Mischief
Skeleton Hiccups
Somethin' Pumpkin
Dragon's Halloween
Sheep Trick or Treat
The Runaway Pumpkin
Mouse's First Halloween
Halloween Night by Elizabeth Hatch
Halloween Mis-Treats
Happy Halloween, Biscuit!
The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin
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