Trick or Treat (review)

Adorable little ghost Oliver prepares for his annual Halloween party by "dusting" (as in, applying dust to) the furniture, letting the spiders do their thing, and waking up a snoozing pile of resident black kitties. When he's out delivering his party invitations, he unwittingly drops one in the street; thus, not only do his usual pals the witches, skeletons, and bats come to the festivities, but also a "little cow and a little jack o' lantern"—two children in costumes—arrive on the doorstep. After a moment of hesitation, Oliver gladly welcomes them in, and a good time is had by all. Adults looking for a sweet, un-scary Halloween story will find this fills the bill nicely, and pleasant little Oliver could easily be paired with a title from Bright's classic Georgie series for some friendly ghost fun. Kids will be tickled by the trick-or-treaters' failure to realize that the party guests are exactly what they seem rather than other kids in costumes, and by the spooky characters' initial uncertainty about the trick-or-treating kids. Landry's autumn-toned watercolor and pencil illustrations possess an endearing simplicity that is perfectly in keeping with the gentle tone of the text. Oliver is a smiley, wide-eyed wee guy, and his basic ghost shape is appealingly childlike in its rendering. Schools, libraries, and families that want to celebrate Halloween with young and/or timid children will definitely want an invitation to Oliver's party.