Harry Behn (1898–1973)

"Tonight is the night / When dead leaves fly / Like witches on switches / Across the sky, / When elf and sprite / Flit through the night / On a moony sheen." So begins Harry Behn's Halloween poem, which provides the text for this wonderfully spooky seasonal picture book. The words are accompanied by gorgeously atmospheric illustrations from Greg Couch, depicting three young trick-or-treaters making their way through a dark and windy night. Dressed up as a devil, witch and skeleton, they show more experience many delicious thrills, ending up at a party in a graveyard...

I have encountered the poem in Halloween before, in Myra Cohn Livingston's 1989 collection, Halloween Poems, although it first saw print in Behn's own collection from 1949, The Little Hill: Poems and Pictures. I have also encountered Greg Couch's artwork before, in Lynn Plourde's Mother Earth & Father Time quartet of seasonal picture books. I am so glad I stumbled across this title on my library's Halloween display last week, as I found the combination of text and image here outstanding! The poem reads well and is quite expressive, capturing the wild sense of adventure and thrills on a Halloween night, while the artwork is delightfully spooky, making excellent use of color and light. I think my favorite scene, visually speaking, was the one in which the three trick-or-treaters were running across the backdrop of a massive pumpkin-colored moon. I will definitely be looking for more from both of these creators! Recommended to anyone seeking poetic picture books (on the scary side) for Halloween. show less

Another of my fond memories translated into an actual book in my hand by the wonder-workers at Loganberry Books. A girl from a tree-worshiping forest tribe and a boy from a sun-worshiping plains tribe fall in love. But the course of true love never did run smooth, and this story has distinct Romeo/Juliet overtones. This story was inspired by the discovery of mummified remains in a peat bog in England (I think.). The story is gentle, human, and believable.

Gorgeous illustrations, simple text, a bit poetic, a bit scary Simple text illustrating the fantastical, scary and wonderful things about Halloween night.

Read this as a teenager and have never forgotten it. Lovely but sad love story.