THE PERFECTLY HORRIBLE HALLOWEEN

After Arnold forgets his pirate outfit on the bus, he abandons hope of being "Scariest of All" at his school costume party. He improvises a bug suit, but a "headless horsewoman" and a Harry Potter lookalike laugh at him. Feeling dejected, he crawls under a paint-spattered dropcloth... only to be mistaken for a ghost. Success! In unpolished but emotion-rich gouaches of a classroom, Poydar (Mailbox Magic) shows how Arnold's braggadocio hides his vulnerability. Arnold isn't lovable, but his lonely situation rings true. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)