HAUNTS

by Angels Shelf Medearis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 1996

Medearis (Treemonisha, 1995, etc.) makes careful additions to five goosebump-raising tales, which are all either set in rural Texas or have a Southern flavor: A widow's moldering husband rises again for one ""Last Dance at the Dew Drop Inn""; with the help of a mysterious dog, Lilly rescues her brother Freeson from the weirdly compelling ""Fiddler Man""; an encounter with a headless horseman leaves two sisters ""Scared Silly""; and a drought-stricken small town gets more water than it bargains for from ""The Rainmaker."" In the final story a skeptical clergyman spends a terrifying night with a roomful of talking cats while ""Waiting for Mr. Chester"" to come down the chimney--piecemeal. Hyman departs from her exacting style to illustrate each tale with a sweeping, less-controlled black-and-white scene; shadows look muddy, but the pop-eyed faces and theatrical gestures are suitably dramatic. Warn all but intrepid readers not to start on this collection after sundown.

Pub Date: Dec. 15, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 37

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1996

Categories: CHILDREN'S