Arnold’s Halloween plans have been reduced to smoldering ruins, but a piece of quick thinking and a handy drop cloth allow him to rise like a phoenix in Poydar’s gladdening doff of the cap to young imaginations. Arnold’s all set to bag the scariest-of-all prize at his school’s Halloween party. He’s brought a pirate costume complete with eye patch, bushy eyebrows, and a tarantula tattoo—or has he? Since the class won’t be putting their costumes on until the end of the day, and since Arnold is so excited about the sheer fabulousness of his pirate rig, he goes to his locker to steal a peek at it. Shiver his timbers, it’s not there. Then he remembers leaving it on the bus that morning. A pall is cast over his day. When the other children start to get into their costumes, Arnold crawls under a drop cloth the class used when painting a mural. It doesn’t take long for the teacher to miss Arnold: “He’s disappeared,” says one kid. “He’s a ghost,” suggests another. A light switches on in Arnold’s attic. Slowly the drop cloth begins to move, then rises and swirls in a most startling way, leaving no doubt who’s won the scariest prize. As in her other work (Mailbox Magic, 2000, etc.), Poydar supplies an irresistible buoyancy. There’s a quiet optimism that finds expression both in the well-paced, encouraging narrative, and in the agile illustrations. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-8234-1592-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2001
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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