PLEASE DON'T SCARE THE GHOST

Instructions for shepherding an anxious ghost through a night of Halloween fun.

Told in second person, this tale follows a tan-skinned child and a ghost as they go trick-or-treating. At each house, the pair are greeted by a large, leering creature who ends up joining them. As the narrative progresses, we see a growing queue of monsters trailing behind the trick-or-treaters, with devious smiles and outstretched arms. Because Ghost is easily scared, the child lights the way with a flashlight and offers some wryly funny words of explanation: The witch is handing out chocolate-covered frog toes (a delicacy among ghosts) and prefers to consume living children rather than the dead; Werewolf’s jagged claws may look threatening, but they’re perfect for unwrapping candy. Gnarled trees, exaggerated shapes, and backgrounds in unnerving purples, greens, and yellows set a spooky yet whimsical tone. The creatures are appropriately creepy, with eye-catching details—matted hair on Frankenstein’s monster—but tempered with a sense of sweetness (the moaning mummy is chewing gum—and blowing a huge pink bubble). Williford folds in some light messaging on boundaries (Ghost prefers not to be hugged and dislikes loud noises), which will speak to youngsters who feel overwhelmed by spooky season.

Reassuring guidance for uncertain trick-or-treaters.