HALLOWEEN

Halloween gets the touchy-feely treatment in this simple, textured introduction to the holiday.

Stock photos, elementary artwork, glitter, fur, foil, and unrhymed text give baby an uncomplicated introduction to some familiar sights of late October. What this book lacks in artistic inspiration it may make up in practical utility; it’s meant to be touched, and it’s built to withstand rough handling. The cover photo, a jack-o’-lantern, is soft and squishy, and the pages are stiff and sturdy—easily turned but tough to tear, crease, or remove. Images are Halloween-themed but not frightening. A cute, black kitten peers over a carved pumpkin with a friendly grin that invites young fingers to trace its features: “Peekaboo! It’s Halloween.” On the next page, “Kitty says, ‘Meow!’ ” and children can touch its soft fur. A two-page spread features a toy witch stirring a cauldron of potion and then a close-up of her sticky, green brew. The potion’s tacky texture is an interesting tactile experience, but the wisdom of encouraging children to touch the side of the witch’s cooking vessel on the preceding page seems questionable. The toy witch and wizard look white, but two real-life trick-or-treaters (a wizard and a witch) are children of color. Bats, the moon, candy, a treat bucket, an owl, and the kitten in a witch’s hat also appear.

A decent, durable first Halloween book.