I'm Not Afraid of This Haunted House

I'm Simon Lester Henry Strauss,/ and I'm not afraid of this haunted house!" boasts this tale's tour guide as other boys and girls shiver and flail. "My friends all scream, 'Come on! Let's run!'/ But I march inside. This looks like fun!" Friedman (A Style All Her Own ) composes nonstop couplets about the house's creatures and features, including a spider-eating goblin and "rows of coffins"; her swaggering hero finally reveals an Achilles heel ("I'm not afraid of this... eeeek... a mouse! "). Murfin (Hide and Seek Turkey ) takes a cue from Lane Smith in her paintings of wide-faced characters, who dodge cobwebs and giggling ghouls. Her light-hearted visual approach mitigates the potentially goose-pimply details. Ages 5-8. (Aug.)