Samurai Scarecrow: A Very Ninja Halloween

[H]as the adorable-but-also-a-little-creepy aesthetic of a Miyazaki movie, perfectly befitting both the siblings' relatable range of emotions and the delicious childhood experience of scaring each other silly with an urban legend.

In a visually dramatic Halloween tale (a companion to Samurai Santa), Kashi is eager to take part in all things Halloween with her brother, Yukio. That includes hearing scary stories about the legendary Samurai Scarecrow, who lays in wait for "feathered fools who won't flee." Yukio isn't scared, though. In fact, he dresses as a bird for Halloween; to his annoyance, Kashi copies him, embarrassing Yukio in front of his ninja friends. A mean comment from Yukio to Kashi leads her to tearfully stay behind while the others go out trick-or-treating--until the pumpkin-headed Samurai Scarecrow appears ("Show me the birds no longer afraid.... Find me the birds who think I'm decayed"), and Kashi pulls off a feat that gives her serious sibling cred. Pingk works in dusky purple tones with orange accents; through dynamic use of angle and perspective, motion-filled scenes resemble comic spreads. A sophisticated aesthetic and a highly original monster make this sibling story a memorable addition to a Halloween library. Ages 4-8. (July)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.