Halloween, American Poetry, Poetry - Holidays

Halloween Night

Name: Halloween Night
Author: Charles Ghigna
ISBN: 9780762415526

by Charles Ghigna

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Overview

This collection of 21 silly, funny, just slightly scary poems about witches, monsters, pumpkins, gargoyles, and trick-or-treating will elicit delighted giggles from children aged 4 to 8 who are just beginning to discover the traditions and lore of Halloween. With such titles as "I’m Not Afraid,” "Witch Way,” "Sick or Treat,” and "What to Wear on Halloween?” it’s destined to become a read-aloud favorite.

About the Author, Charles Ghigna

Charles Ghigna (Father Goose) is the author of more than thirty books of poetry for children and adults including the award-winning Animal Trunk: Silly Poems to Read Aloud, Animal Tracks: Wild Poems for All Ages, and Christmas is Coming! Charles lives in Homewood, Alabama, with his wife, Debra, and son, Chip. Adam McCauley has illustrated books for Jon Scieszka's popular intermediate series, the Time Warp Trio books. His picture books include The Lima Bean Monster by Dan Yaccarino, Martin MacGregor's Snowman by Lisa Broadie Cook, and My Friend Chicken, which he both wrote and illustrated. He lives in San Francisco.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

Ghigna's (Animal Trunk) somewhat attenuated, workmanlike poetry collection takes aim at grown-ups, siblings and bedtime fears. One costume-seeker laments, "I've searched through stores all over town/ For one old scary ghoul,/ But none have masks that look just like/ Our principal at school." Another child stays up late: "A shadow drifted down the stairs/ Appearing pale and calm,/ But when it shouted, `Go to bed!'/ I knew it was my mom." McCauley (The Lima Bean Monster) accents his high-contrast black-and-white illustrations with jolts of purple, orange and green, but like the sing-song stanzas-and despite the arresting jacket art-the stylized designs within lack convincing energy. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Using a color scheme heavy on orange and black, along with plenty of glaring eyes and eerie silhouettes, McCauley creates the right atmosphere for this uneven gathering of verse. Some entries, such as "The Two-Headed Ghoul" ("It's getting close, don't make it mad, / Here it comes-it's Mom and Dad!"), and a gleeful visit to a "Haunted House," are crowd-pleasers, but there's a moralistic streak to sentiments like, "I'd rather be kooky than spooky," and a poem about the perils of greed titled "Sick or Treat." Several selections are only tangentially Halloweenish ("I would like a monster pet, / The kind that children never get"), and others seem dropped into the mix haphazardly, such as one ending with "Halloween is on the way!" that would have been better placed at the beginning than midway through. Still, the collection's perennially popular theme and evocative look should earn it a try, where budgets permit. (Poetry. 7-10)