cover image ABCs at the Haunted House

ABCs at the Haunted House

Jennifer Marino Walters, illus. by Nathan Y. Jarvis. Red Chair, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-63440-876-9

Holiday imagery and a few surprises await readers as they follow two children on a tour of the Halloween Haunted House, identifying letters and objects along the way. Walters highlights each letter of the alphabet into an account of what the kids discover roaming the home’s rooms and grounds. A small panel depicting the letters showcased in a spread appears on its right-hand-page, and the words beginning with those letters boldfaced appear at left in lines of text (the spread for V and W reads “Make way for Vampire and the Witch!”). The flat digital art adds little but festive images to this uneven abecedarian; despite humorous details and a cast of friendly monsters, the uneasy marriage of concepts isn’t quite successful. Ages 4–7. [em](Sept.) [/em]