If Animals Trick-or-Treated [If Animals Kissed Good Night]
by Ann Whitford Paul; illus. by David Walker
Preschool    Farrar    32 pp.    g
8/22    978-0-374-38852-2    $18.99
e-book ed.  978-0-374-39136-2    $10.99

On Halloween, Owlet finds that every animal celebrates the scariest time of the year differently. From Hatchling and Papa Crocodile’s segmented croc-o’-lantern with the “sneee-eeery smile” to Raccoon’s “garbage-fudge squares,” each animal’s traditions feel unique to its species. Refreshingly, Halloween regulars (such as bats) mingle with animals not often featured (such as an armadillo). As in previous entries in the series, lines of text sometimes curve (like a smiling jack-o’-lantern) or sway (like an eerie breeze), which is appropriate and effective for this particular book’s design given the subject matter. Walker’s brightly colored critters contrast nicely with the dark and starry night.

From the September/October 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.