RATTLEBONE ROCK
by Sylvia Andrews & illustrated by Jennifer Plecas
A bouncy, airy rhyme of ghouls who leave their graves on Halloween for an all-night shindig. Newcomer Andrews gets the music right, using alliteration and onomatapoeia, even syncopating the line ``in the syncopating mist.'' The devices never seem contrived, and they don't drown out the simple backbeat that sets the mood for the celebration: ``Ghosts swayed in line/To the beat of the bones/And jazzed up the sound/With musical moans.'' The pace builds evenly to a robust climax, with all the townspeople, even the mayor, joining in the antics. Plecas's illustrations do the job; her dancing skeletons and goblins are a special treat. As entertainment, this book hits the mark. For younger readers, it may also help make spooks less spooky. (Picture book. 3-7)