The Follower
Kindergarten-Grade 4-What is it that follows the witch home every night as she wends her way past the graveyard, Bogeyman's Bog, the ruins of the Vinegar Works, and other eerie landmarks? Thompson poses this conundrum in a cumulative rhyme that highlights the witch's journey each day of the week. "On Monday,/Dark as shut your eyes,/It followed her home-." In the introductory view, the witch is seen only as a silhouette against the curtains above the bed of a sleeping child. This youngster appears again only on the final page, where the thoroughly creepy mood is instantly dispelled. The stalker is revealed to be a big black cat that is grudgingly welcomed into the household. Springett's handsome wind-driven trees and lurking creatures are shaded in crayon or charcoal, softening the stark settings. Along with the white margins framing the pictures, the spare text pages and blocks beautifully complement and augment the light that infuses the dark scenes. This resolution is mildly humorous and reassuring for young readers. It's also rather a tame ending to the brooding, spooky scheme. The shadow of the Elf King's Hill, the forest where the Gunny Wolf lurks, and the skeleton arms of the Hangman's Birch are among the images richly rendered in words and surreal views, offering fine read-aloud fare for readers who want a not-too-scary book.Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.