Haunted Party

Description

Count up and down for Halloween fun! This humorous, rhyming book invites readers to count eerie party guests (1 to 10) as they arrive at the haunted house of the ghost. When the partygoers are frightened by a group of young trick-or-treaters, readers count backwards as the guests depart. A surprise ending offers a delightfully spooky twist. Filled with Halloween party traditions, Iza Trapani's playful art is a treat for all.

Count up and down for Halloween fun! This humorous, rhyming book invites readers to count eerie party guests (1 to 10) as they arrive at the haunted house of the ghost. When the partygoers are frightened by a group of young trick-or-treaters, readers count backwards as the guests depart. A surprise ending offers a delightfully spooky twist. Filled with Halloween party traditions, Iza Trapani's playful art is a treat for all.

A muted (but nicely contrasted) palette and creepy creatures inhabit this Halloween counting book: "3 gruesome goblins, gross and green, /With pointy ears that aren't too clean, /Enjoy some really mean cuisine/At the haunted house of the ghost." As skeletons boogie, vampires dunk for apples (dexterously speared on their fangs), and mummies play pin the tail on the monster, the ghost host serves ghoulish treats and sweeps up after the voluminously shedding werewolves. The growing melee makes counting each arriving group as challenging as it is entertaining. The party is a rollicking success-until the arrival of 10 adorable trick-or-treaters, who terrify the guests into a quick countdown as "9 morbid mummies flee and hide./8 wretched witches zoom outside./7 mean monsters tremble with fear./6 ghastly ghouls try to disappear" and so on, right down to the single ghost who has a surprise in store for readers. This funny, warmly illustrated rhyme makes an entertaining choice for holiday storytimes. --School Library Journal