''Halloween ABC'' is a book of poetry for children, written by

Eve Merriam Eve Merriam (July 19, 1916 – April 11, 1992) was an American poet and writer. Writing career Merriam's first book was the 1946 ''Family Circle'', which won the Yale Younger Poets Prize. Her book, ''The Inner City Mother Goose'', was described ...

and illustrated by

Lane Smith Walter Lane Smith III (April 29, 1936 – June 13, 2005) was an American actor. His well-known roles included newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', Walter Warner in ''Son in Law'', coll ...

. It includes a poem related to a scary or Halloween related theme for each letter of the alphabet.

Reception

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' calls it "elegant in design, precise in image, this is a sophisticated style that should be popular for its subject, with appeal for any age that enjoys the macabre side of Halloween". ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' describes the poems as "fresh, original creations" and "illustrator Smith is a perfect accomplice..." The ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'' recommends ''Halloween ABC'' for children K and up, and states that: "This is not a book for young children to learn the alphabet, but it is a witty, whimsical, and happily shivery book for Halloween sharing. It is also a wonderful book for monster- and horror-loving youngsters at any time of the year and a diabolic way for poetry-loving adults to introduce the work of one of our best contemporary poets ..

Challenged book

''Halloween ABC'' is on the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000 as "it allegedly contains demonic references, cult symbols, and promotes violent and deviant behavior".

References

1987 children's books 1987 poetry books American picture books American poetry collections Halloween children's books Children's poetry books Alphabet books {{child-picture-book-stub