Joseph A. Smith

From “one tall scarecrow standing on a hill” the countdown of creepy Halloweenish creatures continues until ten tiny mice scare them all with a loud “BOO!” The countdown begins again from ten until “one tall scarecrow stood all alone.” The rhyming count is illustrated by carefully composed, highly expressive black & white scratchboard illustrations.

Meet Annabelle, Zelda, and the 24 lively green goblins in between, all dressed in zany costumes gleaned from an attic trunk. The language is alliterative and may stretch readers (and listeners) though well-crafted, brilliantly hued illustrations brimming with verve and humor provide visual cues and clues. This sophisticated, slyly humorous alphabet book merits numerous re-examinations.