Can you see what I see? On a scary scary night

The fad for mock encyclopedias continues, as "the Ghost Society" - pictured in a smudgy portrait at the front - engagingly presents its "never-before-seen archives," which detail manifestations, apparitions and other paranormal phenomena. Its entries range from Japanese ghosts to a handsome cross-section of a Victorian home afflicted with poltergeists, and the tone is authoritative if always tongue in cheek: "To see a ghost move swiftly across the floor without feet will be disquieting. But remember, he'd have feet, if he could." JIM COPP, WILL YOU TELL ME A STORY? Three Uncommonly Clever Tales. Written and performed by Jim Copp. Illustrated by Lindsay duPont. Harcourt. $17.95. (Ages 6 to 9) Jim Copp (1913-99) made nine strange and wickedly hilarious children's records, attracting a durable cult following. Three of his best routines have been collected here, with a CD of the original 1958 recordings: about Kate Higgins, Miss Goggins - "who was not only very ugly, but had a temper" - and the forgetful Martha Matilda O'Toole. With witty illustrations by Lindsay duPont. FLY, CHER AMI, FLY! The Pigeon Who Saved the Lost Battalion. By Robert Burleigh. Illustrated by Robert MacKenzie. Abrams. $16.95. (Ages 5 to 8) During World War I, hundreds of carrier pigeons bore messages to and from the front. This is the story of Cher Ami, who evaded German gunfire (and a trained hawk) to bring news of the famous "Lost Battalion," trapped behind enemy lines in France, to American headquarters: "He ... had done what no man could do! He had saved the soldiers!" Cher Ami also had a happy ending: Badly wounded on his last flight but alive, he was fitted with a tiny wooden leg and retired a hero. PRESIDENT PENNYBAKER By Kate Feiffer. Illustrated by Diane Goode. Paul Wiseman/Simon & Schuster. $ 16.99. (Ages 4 to 8) One of the season's wackier election-related books couldn't be better timed: the story of Luke Pennybaker, "the youngest boy ever to run for president." During his whirlwind campaign Luke vows "to make life fair," among other implausible promises. The message, though, is mixed: Luke ultimately walks away from the White House (now painted orange), leaving his running mate-his dog-in charge. This is supposed to be a happy ending? ON A SCARY SCARY NIGHT Written and illustrated by Walter Wick. Scholastic. $13.99. (Ages 4 and up) For his "Can You See What I See?" books, Walter Wick builds and photographs miniature assemblages of remarkably lifelike scenes. This new Halloween version, loosely based on the tale "In a Dark, Dark Wood," is once again chock-full of the kinds of details that sharp-eyed children love to spot, as the story ingeniously goes in for its close-up down a dark village street, through a door, up the stairs and into a "scary scary cupboard" where a "spirit potion with a leaky cork" sits ready to release a hollow-eyed ghost. "BOO!" LOOKING FOR MIZA By Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu. Photographs by Peter Greste. Scholastic. $16.99. (Ages 7 and up) The team that specializes in baby animals in trouble (think of Knut, the polar bear cub) tells the story of Miza, an endangered mountain gorilla. She's lost, and then rescued by her father. It's a formula, but a good one. JULIE JUST RAISE YOUR HANDS Are kids following the presidential race? What issues do they really care about? Tell us at nytimes.com/books.

Wick's picture-puzzle narrative is based on the familiar folktale "In a Dark, Dark Wood." Just as the tale progresses from outside in, each double-page spread zooms in closer and closer, moving from town to castle to stairway and so on. Readers are challenged to find items in Wick's carefully composed scenes: e.g., bats, a spiderweb, a coffin, and skulls. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.