K-Gr 2—Mouse and Mole are together again, setting an example for firm friendship. Together they prepare for a pumpkin-carving contest, decorate their corner of the forest, and gather the courage to trick-or-treat. Typical for this genre, Yee's characters represent opposites to support inferences about the complementary nature of friendship. But the author goes well beyond this with Mouse and Mole; his stories consistently celebrate the creative spirit and promote purposeful problem solving as well. The brilliance in A Perfect Halloween is Yee's use of rhetorical devices in the narrative. Mouse's story-within-a-story reveals the characters' ambivalence toward a spooky holiday and introduces readers to the idea that literature can reveal unarticulated truths. Idioms throughout the narrative encourage youngsters to think metaphorically. The author's use of onomatopoeia is inventive; TAP-TAP-TAP can be both a knock at the door or a thump to test the ripeness of a pumpkin. Mole's dream of being chased by a skeleton, "Clickety-clack-clack…YIKES!" foreshadows his bumping into the skeleton later: "Clickety-clack…SMACK…YIKES!" And Mole's concern that other contestants may steal his jack-o-lantern idea offers a parallel to Mouse's bad dream that they will all be alike. Yee's charming watercolor illustrations create a cohesive whole. A perfect selection any time of year.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC
In their sixth book, friends Mouse and Mole have rather different feelings about Halloween. Gung-ho Mouse enjoys scaring nervous Mole, but when Mole is too afraid to go trick-or-treating, Mouse realizes it's time to change tactics. The four chapters also include a silly story about a pumpkin contest. Yee's appropriately challenging text and amusing illustrations continue to engage new readers.
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