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‘Twas Halloween night, and all through the house/
Every creature was stirring, including the mouse.” So starts Marjorie Dennis Murray’s Halloween twist on Clement Clarke Moore’s well-known Christmas poem.
The house in this new version of the poem has an eyeball over the front door and creepy shadows in the windows. A green witch with long toenails busily stirs her brew while spiders creep out of every crevice of the house. As the sky darkens, the zombies and mummies come up from the basement, and the goblins prepare food and treat bags.
Colorful party dresses and hats make the banshees and ogres look less intimidating to the tricksters who are nearing the door in their trick-or-treat costumes. But when the children are invited inside by the witch and her ghoulish guests for fish tails, stinkbugs, and dragonfly wings, they drop their candy and run down the pathway screaming.
The monsters don’t let this glitch spoil their plans, though. They spend the evening dancing, playing games and making memories together.
Their distinct appearances can’t hide the fact that the main characters in this book are monsters, but their good manners and warm hospitality are comparable to those of any welcoming host. Dorman’s double-page spread illustrations, which were rendered digitally, are diverse in terms of gender and race.
The story is not meant to scare readers, but it will get them in the mood for a fun Halloween night.
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Tanya Boudreau/2013 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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Halloween Night