“It’s Halloween! It’s Halloween!

The moon is full and bright

And we shall seen what can’t be seen

On any other night…”

The air is turning cooler, the darkness coming earlier, leaves are falling. The Halloween edition magazines have been in our house for a few weeks. They’ve been poured over, costume decisions made, preparations underway. But ah, the excitement of of the season has only just begun. It’s time now for Halloween reading at our house, in which we bring out the holiday-themed books (and of course, the Charlie Brown DVD). This year a stroll through the Friends of the Library Used Book Store led us to a great addition to our collection: a 1977 edition of Jack Prelutsky and Marylin Hafner’s It’s Halloween. [Note: The book was updated in 1997 with the same illustrator.]


With illustrations charmingly reminiscent of Maurice Sendak, each of Prelutsky’s 13 poems illuminate the frightful fun of three children and their Halloween night, from preparations (in “The Pumpkin”) to parties (in “Bobbing for Apples”) to tricks (“Tricksters” and “Countdown”) and treats (“Treat”) and finally to bed at the end of the night:

“We’re stuffed with cake and candy

And we’ve had a lot of fun

But now it’s time to go to bed

And dream of all we’ve done.”

When Beth and Becky were little, I read this book over and over to them.  It was a favorite for all of us and part of our Halloween routine.  It is just the best.   ♥