Halloween in the Orchard (Countryside Holidays)

PreS-Gr 2--A beautiful rhyme whose text sits on a colorful and soft illustration of a classic fall orchard opens a story about Halloween at the orchard: "When apples hang red on their branches, and orange peeks through pumpkin patch vines; when leaves cascade down from the maples, and geese fly above in their lines; that's when I start getting ready for the orchard on Halloween night." While the rhyming doesn't continue throughout the story, each spread ends with "the orchard on Halloween," which is charming and repetitive enough to allow kids to jump in. A boy and his family make a trick-or-treat bag and pumpkin pizzas, get their costumes on, and go to the orchard. Fun illustrations with plenty of detail exude the excitement that the boy feels at the orchard on Halloween. Back matter includes instructions for how to create trick-or-treat bags and a scarecrow search that encourages readers to go back through the pages. Families are sure to enjoy this wholesome holiday story with simple text. VERDICT A cute story to purchase for holiday book collections.--Kirsten Caldwell

Phyllis Alsdurf has written a cute slice-of-life Halloween story that the youngest listeners will enjoy. . . . The real star of the book is the gorgeous artwork by Lisa Hunt, filling every page with wonderful details to keep little ones engaged. —Manhattan Book Review