Boo! A book of spooky surprises

Overlapping die-cut ovals outlined in vivid shades of lime, purple, orange, and yellow form the eyes of cats, owls, witches, and other holiday standbys as an unseen narrator tries to figure out who is shouting "boo!" Repeating questions ("Spider, spider, was that you? Were you the one who shouted boo?") draw readers forward, while each of the six interviewees denies the charge with an "It wasn't me!" Galloway's cheerful graphics keep the mood light, and the culprit-a smiley ghost-is more likely to trigger giggles than gasps. Ages 2-5. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Six bug-eyed, smiling iconic Halloween characters are startled by mysterious shouts of "Boo!" but little ones won't be fazed. Beginning with "Night owl, night owl, was that you? / Were you the one who shouted BOO?" the same question is repeated on each page, substituting the name of the Halloween symbol pictured. Young readers will soon know the response: "It wasn't me!" The eyes of the owl, cat, pumpkin, witch, spider, and wizard are nesting, die-cut holes of decreasing size. The character from the previous page is included on each double-page spread, providing visual continuity. The next-to-last spread shows all six characters worriedly asking, "Who's hiding out there in the night?" The final page turn reveals the obvious answer: "It's a ghost!" The placement of the word "Boo" changes on each page, which may confuse toddlers who learn to anticipate text through its consistent appearance. Despite the bright, almost garish illustrations in purple, black, orange, green, blue, and pink, the perennially smiling characters are static and flat; both witch and wizard are Caucasian. Predictable text, a slight storyline, and cutouts that toddlers will use to turn the pages make this an acceptable introduction to the fun of Halloween. (Board book. 1-3) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.