I WANT to BE in a SCARY STORY, written by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Jean Jullien. Candlewick Press, Random House. 2017. $22.00 ages 4 and up

"Would you rather
something else jump out,
instead of the witch?

Maybe.

How about a ghost?

OK.
A ghost."

Don't all kids love the thought of 'scary'? It sounds like fun, but is it? In this interactive story, a little monster begs to be part of a 'scary' story. The unseen narrator offers choices concerning the where of the scare. A dark and scary forest? Well, maybe not. A spooky house? Maybe ...

The next choice has to do with who will do the scaring in the little monster's story. Will be a witch? Nope! A ghost? Even that proves too much.

'HOLD ON! This is too scary!
Well, you did say you wanted to be
in a scary story.
I know. But I want to be in a
scary story where I do the scaring!
Oh, you want to be the scary one?
YEAH!
OK then. You can creep up the stairs,
sneak over to the door and then ...
SCARE THE PERSON INSIDE!
All right!"

But is it? Perhaps a funny story would be better after all. After a few shared ideas, the little monster turns the tables on the spooky house's inhabitants and provides both a scary and a funny story for readers to enjoy.

Enjoy it they will as they follow the antics and respond to the emotions felt by the little purple protagonist with the big head, yellow eyes, missing teeth and a penchant for stories. The tale moves along quickly, told completely in interactive dialogue. Jean Jullien provides a suitably scary backdrop for the creepy tone of the tale. The colors are striking, the double page spreads filled with expression and detail.  White space on alternating pages alert readers to the upcoming results of his requests and keep attention on the little monster who is creating the action for the book.    

Funny and just on the edge of frightening, this will be enjoyed by listeners as classrooms prepare for the Halloween festivities. It is perfect for paired or shared reading as the dialogue is controlled by contrasting colors. One reader reads the black text, the other the purple. Definitely two voices. I have shared other books that I feel would make terrific performance pieces. Add this on to the list.