THE SCARY BOOK

Big fangs come in small packages in this inventively creepy opus from France.

Bright colors and ghoulishly garish surprises await young readers brave enough to unfold the flaps in these amusingly over-the-top portraits of scary creatures. “Little fish / become big fish. / Beware of the piranha. / OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! / LET’S FIND A SAFE PLACE!” exhorts the text in larger and larger type. On recto, a tiny, wide-eyed green fish becomes a fearsome eating machine when the flap is folded down, revealing sharp teeth and a bite so wide the fish trebles in size. “A bat eats insects. / DO YOU WANT TO FIND OUT / WHAT THIS BAT EATS?” Unfolding the flap reveals a gaping maw of pink gums and razor-sharp fangs, suggesting a diet of anything it wants. A ghost, a toad, a crab, an octopus, a snake, a spider, a wolf, and, finally, a Halloween pumpkin full of bats and bugs round out the anatomically alarming cast. Interactivity and the element of surprise make this an amusing read for kids with strong stomachs and a sense of humor. Fair warning: Some of the drawings are pretty gross. The ghost, when extended, sports a rib cage and a stray trachea and esophagus, for example. Know your kid; this may not be suitable for those prone to nightmares. Though fairly stiff and secure, the fold-out flaps could tear in rough or excited hands.

Silly scares and gruesome, good-natured fun for kids so inclined.