Looking for a simple title about Halloween for the youngest readers? Rhyming text sets up an interactive guessing game that may just be the treat to share with the toddler and early-preschool set.
O’Connell begins, “It’s Halloween night and I’ll be a fright! With this pointy hat and my spooky cat, I'm a… / WITCH!” Or “I’ll dress in all white,” or “Watch out, I might bite!” With a couple additional hints plus the flat cartoon visual clues provided by Morris, little ones are sure to shout out the correct answer each time. Children dressed up as a witch, ghost, bear, vampire and princess “run through the gate and can hardly wait. / We ring the bell and then we yell… / ‘TRICK OR TREAT!’ ” Although the relatively small trim size may prove a challenge at larger storytimes, the bright hues, oversized text and large images relative to the page should easily work for smaller groups. Although this fails to break any new ground, it will likely become a popular choice for debut trick-or-treaters.
Get ready for enthusiastic participation, and do not forget to find the small spider placed on each spread.
(Picture book. 2-4)