School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-Mouse and Mole are together again, setting an example for firm friendship. Together they prepare for a pumpkin-carving contest, decorate their corner of the forest, and gather the courage to trick-or-treat. Typical for this genre, Yee's characters represent opposites to support inferences about the complementary nature of friendship. But the author goes well beyond this with Mouse and Mole; his stories consistently celebrate the creative spirit and promote purposeful problem solving as well. The brilliance in A Perfect Halloween is Yee's use of rhetorical devices in the narrative. Mouse's story-within-a-story reveals the characters' ambivalence toward a spooky holiday and introduces readers to the idea that literature can reveal unarticulated truths. Idioms throughout the narrative encourage youngsters to think metaphorically. The author's use of onomatopoeia is inventive; TAP-TAP-TAP can be both a knock at the door or a thump to test the ripeness of a pumpkin. Mole's dream of being chased by a skeleton, "Clickety-clack-clack.YIKES!" foreshadows his bumping into the skeleton later: "Clickety-clack.SMACK.YIKES!" And Mole's concern that other contestants may steal his jack-o-lantern idea offers a parallel to Mouse's bad dream that they will all be alike. Yee's charming watercolor illustrations create a cohesive whole. A perfect selection any time of year.-Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.