MONSTERS GROWLING IN THE BACKGROUND

A tribute to terror.

Readers who are looking to add a few more ooky-spooky vibes to their lives will be excited to read this petite but potent poetry anthology. Contemporary poets, including Kenn Nesbitt and Richard Jones, share the pages with historical powerhouses like Edgar Allan Poe and Edna St. Vincent Millay. Each of the 12 poems gets its own double-page spread—except for “The Raven,” which needs three double-page spreads to contain it—and all the pages feature bold, expressive artwork. It’s hard to judge if the text or the illustrations are working harder to impress (and scare) readers, and combined they create an impressive poetry collection that will entertain and educate. Many characters, both supernatural and human, are depicted with vibrant skin tones; a group of terrified people gazing at “Mr. Macklin’s Jack O’Lantern” (by David McCord) have bright yellow skin, while a pair of undead creatures are green-skinned. Others appear to be White-presenting, like the narrator of “The Raven” or the protagonist of Walter de la Mare’s “Some One.” Caregivers should expect young readers to wiggle and giggle with horrific glee, and educators and librarians should prepare for this to be a popular choice in the autumn. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Solidly spooky fun that will have readers screaming with joy.