Review of Scary Stories

Scary StoriesScary Stories
by Tony Johnston; illus. by Tomie dePaola
Primary    Wiseman/Simon    32 pp.    g
7/22    978-1-6659-0431-5    $18.99
e-book ed.  978-1-6659-0432-2    $10.99

An imp, a goblin, and a scalawag attempt to outdo one another in the telling of scary stories. Each includes what they collectively believe to be the scariest creature of all—but when that creature actually does appear, it wins them all over by proving its own storytelling prowess. Previously published as Four Scary Stories (in 1978), this creative, metafictive, silly-not-spooky tale features lively, vivid-hued illustrations starring dePaola’s recognizably round-faced characters with their easy-to-read thoughts and funny facial expressions.

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

Elissa Gershowitz

Elissa Gershowitz is editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc. She holds an MA from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons University and a BA from Oberlin College.

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