FIVE SPOOKY FRIENDS

Halloween condensed to its essence for the board-book set.

This sturdy board book invites interaction right from the start. Little fingers quickly find the kid-sized slider that makes the black bat on the cover swoop back and forth above a jack-o’-lantern, a cat, a witch, and a ghost. A full spread is devoted to each of these Halloween icons beginning with “1 / ONE purple witch [who] is flying on her magic broom.” Then a single line of rhyming text each describes the actions of “TWO glowing pumpkins,” “THREE hanging bats,” “FOUR moonlit cats” (in costume), and “FIVE spooky ghosts.” Thoughtful inclusion of both the numeral and number word is helpful for toddlers learning to count. On each recto page, a slider moves the featured creature while also shifting an image in the larger illustration. Sharp-eyed readers will notice a mouse not mentioned in the text that shows up in every scene. Flaps on the windows of the haunted house on the final page open to reveal pumpkin, bat, cat, and witch. And surprise, the mouse is behind the door, ready to welcome the ghosts to the party. Dark shaded tones make for a spooky mood. Additional traditional Halloween symbols (glowing eyes, an owl, spiders, a skeleton) haunt the pictures, but everyone is smiling, so the fear factor is minimized.

Not too long. Not too scary. Just right for first-time trick-or-treaters to read again and again.