Scanning the Bookshelf

There's nothing like reading an autumn-themed picture book to get youngsters in the mood for Halloween. Starting with an ethereal scarecrow romp from the prolific Jane Yolen, this harvest full of tales puts everyone in the fall mood.

"The Scarecrow's Dance" by Jane Yolen; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline; Simon & Schuster; 32 pages; $16.99.

One magical evening, a scarecrow sets off on a mysterious journey, skipping through fields, leaping past the barn and dancing under the moon. With rhyming text and sunset-tinged paintings, Yolen and Ibatoulline could have scored a winner just with these gorgeous details of one scarecrow's romp. But when the tale's second tier appears, the book really tugs at the heart.

As the carefree, smiling scarecrow peers into the window of a young farm boy's bedroom, he hears the child's prayer: " ... And bless tonight our old scarecrow/ Who guards the fields and each corn row/ So that tomorrow, when we reap/ There will be lots of corn to keep." The scarecrow then weeps with emotion, and dances back to his pole, as the lovely tale ends with, "For anyone can dance," thought he/ "But only I can keep fields free."

Truly a heartfelt and beautiful gift-worthy picture book, "The Scarecrow's Dance" will undoubtedly win awards this season.

"Over in the Hollow" by Rebecca Dickinson; illustrated by S. Britt; Chronicle Books; 32 pages; $16.

Inspired by Olive A. Wadsworth's classic counting rhyme, "Over in the Meadow," this begins with a giant mother spider and her little spidey one, moves on to a papa mummy and his little mummies two, a mama owl and her little owlets three, and so on. Wadsworth's tried and true lilt lends itself swimmingly to Dickinson's creative extras, and especially Britt's mod-yet-retro hilarious illustrations.

Youngsters will beg for repeats of this energetic autumn read. They will find tons to discover in each page spread, including jars of fireflies lighting up the spinning wheel room of Mother Spider, a beret atop a saxophone-playing skeleton's skull and flying ghosts giving each other piggyback rides.

"Boo to You!" by Lois Ehlert; Beach Lane Kids/Simon & Schuster; 32 pages; $17.99.

Ehlert's collage-look picture books are art displays for the very young.

They're also highly entertaining favorites on shelves everywhere. Her latest is a visual treat with a fun fall tale about some mice that are determined not to be eaten by a big, black cat. The scrappy mice festoon a pumpkin with a scary face in order to spook the cat, and then they throw broccoli and other harvest vegetables at him and enjoy their own fall feast.

The amazing collaged page spreads feature Ehlert's favorite fall objects, photographed first and combined with colored papers, twine and string. The uncluttered black backgrounds give the collages bold appeal, with walnuts, corn on the cobs, squash and straw stalks magically making the pictures pop.

Ehlert's big and bold white text rhymes and gets to the fun point, making "Boo to You!" the perfect read-aloud for preschoolers — and even older kids with an interest in artsy collage.

"The Monsterologist: a Memoir in Rhyme" by Bobbi Katz; illustrated by Adam McCauley; Sterling Children's Books; 48 pages; $16.95.

Already a Children's Book of the Month Club selection, this unique mix of drawings, photos and handwritten text is meant to look like a treasured scrapbook about monsters. Totally eccentric, droll and slightly eerie, "The Monsterologist" keeps a secret collection of letters, interviews and files on mythological and literary creatures, in the form of poems and a vast array of realistically ancient artwork.

Kids who want to "meet" the Loch Ness Monster, Count Dracula, Bluebeard, Godzilla, countless werewolves, Cyclops and trolls will thoroughly enjoy this one-of-a-kind coffee-table book that's great for Halloween season or anytime of year.

"Boo Who?" by Lola Schaefer; photos by Michael Frost; Simon & Schuster; 12 or more pages; $7.99.

Babies and tots aren't left out in this Halloween round-up. This cool foldout board book features children dressed up in costumes, with hints so readers can guess their identities.

"I ride my broom through the October sky and cackle at the moon that's hanging high," reads one orange page, with a little girl dressed as a witch behind four foldout pages. An adorable vampire, skeleton and Frankenstein monster are also appealing.

To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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