On a Windy Night
PreS-Gr 1–A costumed boy walks home through the woods on Halloween night. As “Clouds hide the moon–/and/in/creeps/fright,” the trick-or-treater starts to hear a dire warning: “CRACKLETY-CLACK, BONES IN A SACK./THEY COULD BE YOURS–IF YOU LOOK BACK.” As he races though the field, his mind plays tricks on him and he mistakes cornstalks for dancing skeletons and a giant pumpkin for a head. As his fear escalates, the rhyming refrain appears in a larger font size. The tension builds as a menacing shadow “rubs against his legs.” With a sigh of relief, the “hairy beast” is revealed to be the family cat. There is another surprise when “CRACKLETY-CLACK” is heard once more inside the house–this time coming from a mouse nibbling its way through the boy's candy bag. The crosshatched pen-and-ink illustrations have a spooky appeal. Swaying tree branches take the shape of a cat and clouds appear as dinosaurs and ghosts. A rhythmic, atmospheric read-aloud.Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.