Creepy characters perfectly balanced between grotesque and comical populate this story. Murray's text is a funny parody of "A Visit from Saint Nicholas." Dorman's digitally rendered illustrations, featuring many ghoulish details, encourage close observation; you can almost hear the witches cackle as jack-o'-lanterns cast a suitable glow over the pages. A welcome addition to Halloween story-hours.

K-Gr 3 "'Twas Halloween night, and all through the house/Every creature was stirring, including the mouse." With text echoing the classic Christmas poem, the opening spread features a brightly lit mansion and pulls even the most reluctant readers into this holiday story. Out come bats, spiders, witches, ogres, ghosts, and banshees, all excitedly preparing a spectacular buffet for young trick-or-treaters. Their work backfires, however, when the children peek into the spooky house: "But what they saw on that shadowy night/Made each little trickster shiver with fright!" Murray's smooth rhyming text combines well with Dorman's vibrant and extraordinarily detailed digital art, with surprises on every page. This is an energetic romp with a satisfying conclusion that will be a fun read-aloud for wide-eyed children anxiously awaiting the holiday. Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI