Trick or Treat: On a Dark, Dark Night

The girls are getting quite excited about Hallowe'en and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the stores (around here, anyway) have been decked out for several weeks already. Both girls like the idea of Hallowe'en but only to a certain extent. That is, they like the fun aspects but need a lot of reassurance when it comes to all the scary stuff. That's why I was happy to come across the book On a Dark, Dark Night (Pleasant St. Press, 2009), written by Jean M. Cochran and illustrated by Jennifer E. Morris.

This book is about a little boy and his dog who get so spooked hearing what they think is a witch's cackle that every little thing they hear and see from then on contributes to their wild imaginations. This book is appealing because, like the text, the drawings are cute yet just frightening enough to fascinate young children and satisfy their teeny tiny desires to be scared. Add in the book's rhyming verse and a surprise ending and this makes for one fun book for all the little ghouls and goblins in your life!