Review by Booklist Review
In this Halloween countdown journey, a girl with bushy red hair sets out dressed as a tatterdemalion harlequin clown, passing a variety of seasonal figures. First, she encounters "10 spooky pumpkins sitting in a line . . . Looking for a cat, and they found 9." Formula established, she proceeds to discover 8 screeching bats, 7 greedy goblins, 6 hallowed ghosts, all the way to 1 full moon, which makes a dramatic, glowing entrance. From word choice to the muted autumnal watercolors, accented with splashes of black and sepia ink, Grimly's Halloween romp strikes the perfect tone of gentle spookiness, an effect further aided by the fact that the girl is clearly having nothing but fun with her creepy companions. The patterned rhymes are perfect read-aloud fodder, as are the marvelous double-page illustrations and the regular use of page-turn reveals. Before the moon makes its appearance, the girl joins all the countdown's creatures in a field for a dance party--a built-in opportunity for young readers to get their wiggles out! But once the moon rises, "big and bright. Woooooo went the wind / And the creatures ran in fright." As for the girl, the story closes with her cozily asleep in bed. In a sweet author's note, Grimly shares his inspiration for this wonderful new addition to Halloween shelves.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Grimly returns with stylized macabre fun in this Halloween-centric counting book, following a blue-eyed, peach-skinned child in a Pierrot-style clown costume. Blocky orange numbers reside in the upper left-hand corner on each page, as a rhythmic rhymes count down from 10. Six "hallowed ghosts wiggle and writhe...// Looking for a wolf and they found five," one spread reads, as ghastly spectral figures with yawning mouths float through a dusky sky from a ramshackle house. Crisply rendered watercolor and ink illustrations conjure a casually eerie energy as the child nonchalantly, smilingly encounters everything from patchwork-winged bats and mangy-looking moor wolves to coffee-sipping skeletons and a curmudgeonly moon. As a simultaneous counting guide, bedtime book, seasonal read, and source of uncanny year-round fun, this is an absolute treat bolstered by a gently surprising trick. Back matter includes an artist's note. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
It's a countdown with a cast of creepy characters ushering in Halloween night. A little girl in a Pierrot-clown--inspired costume exits a farmhouse and sets off on Halloween at dusk. As she makes her way along the fields and fences, she meets the titular 10 spooky pumpkins, nine black cats, eight "screeching bats," and so on until all of the creatures come together to dance in the cornfield. When the full moon rises, the wind sends everyone scattering into the night and the girl heads calmly to bed. While the countdown structure is a classic in picture books, Grimly uses it to maximum effect, drawing readers into each page turn. The "Five Little Pumpkins"--inspired verse works, rhythmic and full of alliteration like "greedy goblins" and "skinny scarecrows." It's a harmonious pairing with Grimly's gently cadaverous illustrations. The patchwork endpapers set the palette and theme for the haunting art. There are little quilted touches throughout, on the bats' wings and in the buttons and stitching on the scarecrows, for example. The full moon is drawn with enormous presence and personality: imposing, fierce, powerful. Grimly's tale and illustrations provide readers with a fully imagined world, a complete mood and atmosphere. It evokes all of the eerie, unsettling elements of Halloween with the safety of a child tucked into bed at the end. An engrossing read with stirring, memorable illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
