Trick or Treat?

by Bill Martin Jr, Michael Sampson, Paul Meisel (Illustrator)

Overview

Trick or Treat
When Merlin the wizard answers the door, trick-or-treating becomes more tricky than usual.
Suddenly everything turns Wackbards! Those tasty jelly beans have turned into silly belly jeans!
Enjoy this hilarious Halloween treat that's guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth and your funny bone!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416902621
Publisher:	Aladdin
Publication date:	08/01/2005
Edition description:	Repackage
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	911,926
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	AD670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916–2004) has been called “America’s favorite children’s author.” He wrote more than 300 books for children, including the classic texts Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, illustrated by Eric Carle; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, illustrated by Lois Ehlert.

Michael Sampson is a New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two books for young children, including Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 and The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry. He and Bill Martin Jr wrote many popular books together, including Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? Michael Sampson lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Editorial Reviews

Counting and word games result when a trick-or-treater makes the rounds of his 10-story apartment building. In PW's words, "The expertly cadenced inside-out wordplay could prove habit-forming." Ages 4-8. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-3-Martin and Sampson aim their book at children who enjoy hearing, or trying to get their own mouths around, silly words. Trick-or-treating in his apartment house with his mother in tow, a young "Dracula" collects treats on each floor, until a magician on the 10th hits him with a trick: "Now everything is WACKBARDS!" As the child makes all of his previous stops in reverse, instead of Jelly Beans, he gets a stream of "Belly Jeans": likewise, Chocolate Sticks change to "Stocolate Chicks," Caramel Pops to "Paramel Cops," and so on. Meisel keeps the tone light in his spacious, simply drawn cartoons, portraying everyone wearing maskless costumes and, generally, smiling as armies of little blue jeans, police officers, and other wacky offerings march into the lad's apparently bottomless sack. And, it takes only a paternal hug at the end to break the spell, leaving the diminutive Count and his parents happily contemplating a teetering mountain of sweets. Children will giggle, and salivate, too, at this sugary bit of Halloween foolery.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Readers will revel in the alliterative names and twisted phrases but the enjoyment will be superficial unless they can figure out that the "ceanut pups" are the "peanut cups," and other such treats are turned "wackbards" by Merlin’s spell. Martin and Sampson, who have recently collaborated on several titles (I Pledge Allegiance, above, etc.), tell of a young boy going trick-or-treating in his apartment building. On each floor, a costumed resident gives him a treat, until he reaches the apartment of Magic Merlin, who gives him a trick instead of a treat. Back down the boy goes, this time collecting a wacky trick instead. "Belly Jeans" replace the "Jelly Beans." "Stocolate Chicks" come in place of "Chocolate Sticks," and so on until the boy returns to his own apartment with a bag full of puppies, cars, and chickens and then his father’s hug breaks the spell. The realistic watercolors depict neighbors in silly Halloween costumes and images of spiders and pumpkins on sweaters and ties. The story itself, though, is a somewhat confusing gimmick that may defy comprehension by primary-aged readers and will not interest most of the older readers, who will see through its contrived story line and all-too-convenient conclusion. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews