Review Detail

Enzo (dog) and Zoe (human) are both gearing up for Halloween in Garth Stein’s ENZO’S VERY SCARY HALLOWEEN. The story starts with Denny (Zoe’s dad) introducing Enzo to the idea that Halloween might be a little frightening, and for the remainder of the book, Enzo tries to reconcile what he’s seeing with what he knows (and smells) of how the world works.

Halloween can be a little scary, and this story will help kids who might be inclined toward the freaked-out side of the holiday. At the same time, ENZO has way too many words… the illustrations are so expressive that the narrative could have been cut in half (or more) and the story would have been just as effective.

I don’t recommend ENZO’S VERY SCARY HALLOWEEN for younger preschoolers—I was reading to three-year-olds who fell asleep half way through the book—but older kids will appreciate Enzo’s apprehension about the scariest night of the year, and his relief when it’s all over with a happy ending. Zoe's delight with the holiday will strike a chord with those who love Halloween.

My thanks to the publisher and YA Books Central for a copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased review.