How to Catch a Witch (How to Catch #14)

PreS-Gr 2--A creepy, silly story about the neighborhood children trying to trick a mischievous witch into leaving their town before the end of Halloween night. In this return to Walstead's "How to Catch" series, the children prepare themselves for Halloween by putting on their costumes. As they set out to go trick or treating, they notice ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. "But there aren't enough kids in our town to account for this many creatures. Some of these beings just might be real!" The children discover that a witch has come to their town to cause mischief, and she has brought the creatures with her. The children go about setting traps like a "Busting Best Moves" dance competition where they hope the witch will get stuck to the floor by spiderwebs. When that doesn't work, they create a tunnel of tricks as a roadblock, but the witch outsmarts them by flying over it. Just when the kids are about to give up, the witch opens a portal, and all the goblins and ghosts disappear from the neighborhood. Words and text rhyme neatly alongside beautifully animated illustrations that incorporate vibrant children's costumes, as well as ghouls, ghosts, and witches. As with the other titles in this series, Walstead integrates STEAM-like activities that children can construct using typical household items, such as using a cardboard box to create a booby trap for the witch. VERDICT A great addition to any children's room Halloween collection.--Annmarie Braithwaite