Enhanced by Tomes's typically rusticated palette, this droll tale stars an old lady who makes several bones about her Halloween search for the perfect ingredient. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-- One Halloween night, a lonely little old lady searches for a bone to add to her vegetable soup. Finding none inside, she goes out to dig and unearths an entire skeleton. After chasing the woman up a tree, the skeleton goes into the house and discovers the soup. It in turn is frightened and is chased by a dog, and finally hides under the bed. After cornering the skeleton, the dog is revealed to be none other than the little old lady herself--dressed in her Halloween costume. The two make a pact not to frighten one another. Then, after sharing the soup and each other's company, they venture out together to "scare somebody," since it is, after all, Halloween night. Johnston's text has the easy cadence of a folktale, making it a good choice for reading aloud. Tomes's familiar gouache paintings reinforce the whimsical quality of the original tale. Even a casual observer will notice the visual clues throughout the pages. A palette of soft muddy browns and grays, with accents of orange, red, and green, creates the ambience of a late October evening. While any promise of a spooky, spine-tingling tale fades early on, this is nevertheless satisfying: a good choice for Halloween story hours and a foil for more sensational yarns. --Corinne Camarata, Port Washington Public Library, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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