cover image Five Little Monkeys Trick-or-Treat

Five Little Monkeys Trick-or-Treat

Eileen Christelow. Clarion, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-547-85893-7

Christelow’s popular Five Little Monkeys enjoy nothing more than getting into mischief, and they accomplish plenty of it on Halloween night as they trick-or-treat with babysitter Lulu. At first, the monkeys are dressed as a banana, alien, ghost, goblin, and princess, but once they’re out on the streets, they start switching costumes with fellow trick-or-treaters, leading to five little cases of mistaken identity. Mama knows what’s what, though. “There must be some mistake,” she tells the five monkeys through narrowed eyes, after they appear on her doorstep in new costumes. “Because I am the mama of a banana, alien, ghost, princess, and goblin. And they are already home.” An all’s-well ending and some Halloween recipes wrap up this gently naughty romp. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)