We've always been pretty old-fashioned about Halloween. As a child, my dad was the pumpkin carver, working with us out in the backyard on our old picnic table. We children were the designers. As a mom, the fun continued, as I'd glimpse those faraway looks in my own children's eyes, and catch snippets of their conversations with each other about what they wanted to dress up as, and what kind of creations they were going to challenge their dad with carving for them. It was all about fun and imagination, with a lot of anticipation and excitement thrown in.
Something about going out in the dark of night and seeing all the illuminated neighborhood windows and Jack O'lanterns was - though cozy on the one hand - a bit mischievous and unfamiliar, so we didn't encourage goblin, witch, or gruesome costumes -- just walking around our dark neighborhoods was spooky enough!
Which brings to mind a mesmerizing book by a very talented lady: THE CAT AT NIGHT
, by Dahlov Ipcar. In this story, we get to spend an evening watching a cat stroll around after dark. Cats can see in the dark and that's when they like to go exploring! The pages alternate between almost total darkness, with only silhouettes of the things the cat is passing by, followed by the same scenes in full color that show what is visible to the cat. He meets other cats before the dawn finally comes, when he must finally leave them and go back to the farmhouse. He's greeted by the farmer's wife and given milk. Then he curls up to go to sleep...And the farmer says, "What a lazy cat.
He sleeps all night and he sleeps all day, too!"
But the cat doesn't hear him. He is dreaming
about all his adventures in the long, wonderful, dark night.
, in which there is a running battle between a farmer and his wife and the mischievous animals who plunder their fields. The story is told in rollicking verse, with the distinctive illustrations of Dahlov Ipcar bringing the verse to life. 
To read more about Dahlov Ipcar and see her other books and artwork, click here .
by Sandra Boynton (ages 0-3) Fun romping text and pictures of animals at a Barn Dance. Typical boisterous story by Sandra Boynton! She's a favorite for this age.
by John Schindel, with photographs by Steven Holt. (baby-preschool) Your little ones will love to see what chickens do all day in this visually busy and playful book.
by Amy Hest, illustrations by Anita Jeram. (toddler-kindergarten) Lucky for Little Chick, she has a wise Old-Auntie who is always there to give her gentle help and advice in the three little endearing stories that make up this sweet book.
by Paul Galdone (ages 4-8) Classic children's fairytale about a silly hen who thinks the sky is falling and is tricked by a mischievous "Foxy Loxy."
by Paul Galdone (ages 4-8) Lots of rhythm and refrain make this a fun book to read aloud. "Not I! Not I!" is the answer the Little Red Hen hears over and over, as she tries to enlist her animal friends to help her in baking a cake. There's a lesson learned at the end when the non-helpers want to help eat the cake.
by Bruce McMillian. (ages 4-8) Some village women are frustrated because they can't reach the eggs the wild birds are laying on the sides of cliffs. Little do they suspect that the chickens they buy will hatch a new set of problems. These chickens behave like ladies--they pick blueberries, go to birthday parties, have tea--until they are too busy to lay eggs.
, by Ruth Heller. (ages 4-8) Rhyming text and fun, full-page illustrations make this a perfect introduction for young kids about different egg-laying animals. Bright and bold illustrations, informative and interesting.
, by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrations by Syliva Long. (Kindergarten - 2nd grade) Older children will do well with the small print, detailed explanations given about eggs in this book, but young ones will be interested in the beautiful watercolor illustrations and larger, simpler descriptive text on each page. The kind of book you could curl up with and look at for hours! 
by Deborah Guarino, illustrations by Steven Kellogg. (ages 4-8) This story becomes an animal guessing game, as Baby Llama asks his friends, "Is your Mama a Llama?" and is answered in turn with cute rhyming descriptions of their own Mamas.
by Anna Dewdney. (ages 3 and up) Simple rhyme scheme and colorful, bold illustrations add to this fun read aloud for bedtime. Baby Llama experiences the same fear and loneliness that lots of children do after their mommies say goodnight and leave the room.
