cover image The Dragon Halloween Party

The Dragon Halloween Party

Loreen Leedy. Holiday House, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-8234-0611-1

Ma Dragon and those 10 rascally little dragons of A Number of Dragons and The Dragon ABC Hunt are throwing a Halloween party. While they prepare for it, readers can use the instructions and get ready for their own festivities. Directions are provided for making king, clown, wizard, super-hero, fortune teller, butterfly, monster, pirate, fairy princess and bumblebee costumese (one for each of Ma's offspring). The dragons also make their own decorationsbat garlands, ghosts, spiders and monstersand they carve their pumpkins (Ma takes care of the knife). Recipes for witch's brew and pumpkin ice cream squares, among others, fill out the list of preparations. The guests arrive, and the party begins. Ma tells scary stories, teaches fun games and shoos everyone home when it gets past the witching hour. Seldom has so much enthusiasm been packed into so few pages. Ma Dragon is exhausted, but Leedy adds one final touchinstructions for making a dragon costume. This is a book to be relished, long after the last popcorn ball has been devoured. (5-8)