“Knock, knock! / Who’s there? / Ghouls! / Ghouls who? / Ghouls and boys both love Halloween!” And many kids love knock-knock jokes and cannot get enough of them.
Teitelbaum comes through with this holiday collection of 28 jokes utilizing classic knock-knock form with wordplay and puns. Ho chooses to cast this series of jokes into a loose story of a girl and boy first preparing for Halloween and then having various adventures during Halloween night. As the two go from one activity and joke to the next, the format remains fairly consistent, with four jokes per double-page spread. A repeated lift-the-flap feature dedicated to a couple of the jokes on each spread as an interactive element as well as a chance for independent readers to guess the answer. Each flap has a unique shape and location on the page, and readers’ eyes automatically jump to those parts of the book. This helps to create an enjoyable apprehension as readers turn the page. What is hidden there? Ho takes full advantage of the flaps, creating visual sleights of hand. The top of the flap leads readers to anticipate one answer to the joke, but often unexpected punch lines lurk below.
Have this at the ready for a quick dose of gentle Halloween humor. (Early reader. 5-8)
