I was introduced to Boynton’s board books thirty years ago when my first child was born, but had long been a fan of her greeting cards. Titles like Barnyard Dance were read so often that I can still quote most lines. There is an appealing rhythm to her books, fun occurrences, and a great variety of vocabulary, which I greatly appreciate. (This includes intone, enormous, and ridiculous, which are not particularly easy to work into verse!)

Boynton’s illustrations are delightful as well. I have a fondness for her pigs, and was glad to see that one appeared at the end in a chicken costume to reassure our flustered fowl. How she can convey so much anxiety in the chicken’s eyes with just an oval and a dot is beyond me, but she does a great job. The colors are bright, and the white chickens really pop against the spooky, nighttime backgrounds.

I just found out that there are at least 19 of these board books, and even though I have no children at all to read them to, I still rather want to buy each and every one! This Halloween title goes well with Spooky Pookie and Boo! Baa! La la la!, and makes a great seasonal addition to any board book library.