It’s a dark and creepy night, and a boy and girl are supposed to sleeping. Their father is already asleep, and they are not to wake him! When the wind howls, the girl grows alarmed, and her brother calms her down—sort of. He tells her it’s the wind, not a ghost, which naturally brings to mind ghosts. (“Ghosts? Oh no, not ghosts!”) The girl shouldn’t worry about ghosts, though, because her brother says he would dress up like a werewolf to frighten the ghosts away. (“Werewolves? Oh no, not werewolves!”) And he’d bellow like a giant. A Giant? Well, giants can be frightened by demons, of course. Demons? They can be turned to cats by witches. No worries, though, because witches skedaddle when they see skeletons. When the girl is older, she’ll realize that there’s nothing to be afraid of, her brother explains. Except—uh oh—who’s that at the top of the stairs? Repetitive text makes this a strong read-aloud, and the dark pictures have just the right amount of spookiness. A straightforward, humorous tale, perfect for Halloween. (Picture book. 4-6)
