From Publishers Weekly
In this hair-raising tour of a mansion and cornfield, readers confront creatures of the night. Druce (Witch, Witch Come to My Party) generates suspense with rhyming questions that are answered with a trembling turn of the page. A diaphanous form lurks behind a broken window ("Who can walk through closed doors/ with a thud and a thump?/ `I can,' said the ghost"), bats swoop and a skeleton emerges from a crypt. Wenzel's (The Christmas Path) naturalistic watercolors and tilted fields of vision enhance the unsettling ambience. Ages 4-8. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Riddles introduce the characters associated with Halloween, including a witch ("On Halloween Night/when it's dark and scary/who can swoop through the air/with a swish and a flurry?") and a jack-o'-lantern ("On a darkened porch/when the moon is low/who can light a smile/with a shine and a glow?"). Watercolor illustrations of haunted houses, graveyards, ghosts, and trick-or-treating children establish an appropriately spooky mood; however, the occasionally awk- ward rhymes can make reading aloud difficult.Shara Alpern, The Free Library of Philadelphia Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Ages 3-5. The premise is slight (trick-or-treaters embark on a night of mischief and see spooky sights along the way), but there's still plenty of fun to be had in this guessing game written in rhyme. Each spread, decorated with whimsical illustrations that set a light tone, asks a question that is answered on the following page: "Who can swoop through the air with a swish and a flurry?" "Who can light a smile with a shine and a glow?" The cadence of the rhymes is occasionally jerky, but that won't matter in the least. Sharp-eyed children will find clues in the pictures and won't be able to contain themselves without gleefully shouting out the answer. That's the joy of the book. The illustrations, appropriately dark and rendered from varied perspectives, are well suited to the lively narrative and are sure to please. Shelley Townsend-Hudson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Card catalog description
Halloween night visitors include a witch, a jack-o-lantern, an owl, a skeleton, and children.

ANNOTATION

Halloween night visitors include a witch, a jack-o-lantern, an owl, a skeleton, and children.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this hair-raising tour of a mansion and cornfield, readers confront creatures of the night. Druce (Witch, Witch Come to My Party) generates suspense with rhyming questions that are answered with a trembling turn of the page. A diaphanous form lurks behind a broken window ("Who can walk through closed doors/ with a thud and a thump?/ `I can,' said the ghost"), bats swoop and a skeleton emerges from a crypt. Wenzel's (The Christmas Path) naturalistic watercolors and tilted fields of vision enhance the unsettling ambience. Ages 4-8. (July) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

Simple rhymes ask questions about the creatures and characters that hang about on the night that is supposed to frighten, at least a little. Witches and ghosts, owls, spiders and bats, all are playing their parts, but the children are ready to have the most fun of all. Wenzel's double page scenes depict each character but also include a clue pointing to the next, an extra youngsters should enjoy. His watercolors are packed with typical images of Halloween produced with a naturalism that adds to their effectiveness, and with details that encourage scrutiny. 2001, Rising Moon, $14.95. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Riddles introduce the characters associated with Halloween, including a witch ("On Halloween Night/when it's dark and scary/who can swoop through the air/with a swish and a flurry?") and a jack-o'-lantern ("On a darkened porch/when the moon is low/who can light a smile/with a shine and a glow?"). Watercolor illustrations of haunted houses, graveyards, ghosts, and trick-or-treating children establish an appropriately spooky mood; however, the occasionally awk- ward rhymes can make reading aloud difficult.-Shara Alpern, The Free Library of Philadelphia Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews