Enzo's Very Scary Halloween

by Garth Stein, R. W. Alley (Illustrator)

Overview

Enzo, the lovable mutt from Garth Stein’s New York Times bestselling novel The Art of Racing in the Rain, experiences his first Halloween with friends Denny and Zoë in his third (not so) very scary picture book.

When Halloween comes around, Enzo doesn’t know what to expect. Jack-o’-lanterns light up the streets, giant spiders weave webs on porches, and ordinary lawns become creepy graveyards while every child and dog transforms into a creature of some kind—including Enzo!

Enzo the dragon is determined to protect fairy princess Zoë from the monsters and goblins in their neighborhood, but when things get a little too scary, his family is there to reassure him that everything is make-believe and only meant to be fun—just like the wonderful trick-or-treat parade that ends this spook-tastic night! R. W. Alley’s fantastic illustrations bring Enzo to life as he discovers the frightful fun of Halloween.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062380616
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	07/26/2016
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Garth Stein is the author of Enzo Races in the Rain!, based on the New York Times bestselling novel The Art of Racing in the Rain (and its tween adaptation, Racing in the Rain). His other works include A Sudden Light, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, Raven Stole the Moon, and a play, Brother Jones. He is the cofounder of Seattle7Writers.org, a nonprofit collective of sixty-two Northwest authors dedicated to fostering a passion for the written word. Garth lives in Seattle with his family and his dog, Comet.

R. W. Alley has illustrated a number of books featuring Paddington Bear. He lives in Barrington, Rhode Island, with his wife, author Zoë B. Alley.

Hometown:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Date of Birth:

December 6, 1964

Place of Birth:

Los Angeles, California

Education:

BA Columbia University, Columbia College, '87, MFA Columbia University, School of the Arts, '90

Website:

http://www.garthstein.com

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2016
In this third picture book spin-off from Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain, Enzo the puppy is apprehensive about the Halloween preparations and activities going on around him. Not knowing that the costumes and decorations are all pretend, Enzo sees “demonic” transformations and inexplicable magic everywhere. As Enzo’s imagination runs wild, so do Alley’s mixed-media cartoons, which show the dog turning into a fire-breathing dragon, surrounded by witches and ghosts that no longer resemble kids in costumes. Unfortunately, the story bogs down in Enzo’s repetitive, drawn-out narration (“I am cornered, but I refuse to unleash my terrible firebreath on these unfortunate creatures. They are about to pounce on me, but I will not defend myself!”), which doesn’t talk down to readers but isn’t especially well-targeted to them, either. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (July)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2016
PreS—Enzo the family dog becomes anxious as Halloween invades his home and neighborhood. It even transforms his owner Zoe into a fairy princess and her dad, Denny, into a scarecrow. When Zoe puts Enzo into a dragon costume, the pup begins to fret that he, too, is transforming. This cute picture book is a great way to explain Halloween to children who might be frightened by the festivities. As Enzo becomes uneasy about all the ghosts, pumpkins, and costumed creatures running around and believes the whole neighborhood will be haunted, children are able to see how silly his worries truly are. Young readers will identify with Enzo's runaway imagination, and this story can help ease their own concerns about the "spookiest night of the year." VERDICT This is a great book for one-on-one sharing with young worrywarts or children who might be apprehensive about Halloween. A solid addition for most libraries.—Shana Morales, Windsor Public Library, CT

School Library Journal

2016-07-20
Traffic may not daunt the race car–chasing dog, but Halloween certainly does.It doesn’t help that Zoë gets Daddy to tell all about Halloween “the scary way.” Denny turns off the lights, puts a flashlight under his chin, and tells of ghosts and spooks running through the neighborhood. The little dog thinks, “It’s going to take all my energy to protect us from this impending invasion.” His tongue-in-cheek first-person (first-dog?) narration provides an unusual perspective on Halloween. For instance, he believes that the jack-o’-lantern Zoë and Denny carved has put an evil spell on his humans (both white), transforming them into a fairy princess and a scarecrow. But the last straw for the dog in the green dragon costume is when his barks cause everyone to run away—from him. To save them, he runs away himself. It is only when Zoë finds him and finally explains that Halloween is dress-up that Enzo loses his haunted and hangdog look, and the night ends on a loving note. Alley’s artwork uses pen and ink, pencil, watercolor, gouache, acrylics, and spilled coffee to create joyful family scenes that revolve around Halloween fun—few pages will be truly frightening for young readers, but they will understand Enzo’s fear, nonetheless, which is clear in his body language and facial expressions. Though his story is a bit wordy (but well-suited to a read-aloud), few will be able to resist Enzo’s charm. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews