"The steps are creaking
on the porch.
The doorknob's rattling
back and forth!
She's out there
mumbling up her spell.
Her cauldron's bubbling -
what a smell!"
I rarely post holiday books. The only reason I can give is that budgets are tight and the need to be sure you are getting the best books for the money is paramount. In that case, it might be better spent on books that reach beyond one day a year. That being said, when a book like Scritch Scratch comes along, you don't want kids to miss the joy inherent in the telling.
Three terrified kids hear a sound they do not recognize, and worry that it is the witch who makes her home in the pumpkin patch. Inside they run, lock the door and hope that her spell comes nowhere near them. The sound happens again, and they are sure they see the witch's shadow 'swooping past'. Her doings are scary and unexpected, of course.
"She's catching snails
and slugs to use
to cast a spell on
me and you - "
By choosing perfect hiding places and waiting in silence, they avoid a confrontation. Soon enough, they see her shape on the face of the moon and their worry dissipates. No scritch! No scratch! They are safe. Or are they?
Black ink and watercolor art offers a witch whose presence grows with the imaginings expressed by the terrified three. The only color (brilliant orange), beyond the contrast of light and shadow, is shown in the moon, the children's hair and cheeks, a lit match, spider legs, the witch's eye and the background for a tense scene inside the house. It definitely ups the drama. I love the rhyming storytelling that has all the 'feels' for Halloween. What a terrific read aloud it is!
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