Skeleton for Dinner

We must have Skeleton for dinner," says Big Witch to Little Witch as they brew a stew. But what does that mean? While the witches want their friends Skeleton, Ghoul, and Ghost to eat a meal, Skeleton assumes they will be the meal. His subsequent flight, the witches' disappointment, and a linguistic intervention by Crow all lead up to a delicious ending. The lightweight premise and thin plot are occasionally enhanced by lively and lilting language, as in the stew recipe: "shark fins and snake skins, spider silk and centaur's milk, catfish whiskers and banshee blisters." Terry's intensely colored cartoons are childlike and not the least bit scary, even though they effectively convey a Halloween mood. The final scene feels more like a cookout than a spooky gathering. Skeleton for Dinner will be an apt selection during discussions of ghoulish Halloween dining as well as the quirks of the English language.

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Bathed in a spooky graveyard glow, Big Witch and Little Witch brew a stew and prepare a list of the guests to invite for dinner. What follows is a kind of Halloween version of Chicken Little, as timid Skeleton misunderstands, believing he's an ingredient, not a guest. He dashes off to warn two friends-Ghost, a wispy girl, and Ghoul, who resembles Quasimodo. It's a familiar joke, but Terry's illustrations give the cast of characters distinctive looks and personalities (they almost resemble rubbery toys). Despite the threat of death by cauldron, neither contributor lets things get too frightening as the story works its way to a happy ending for all. 

Copyright 2013 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.