Diane Goode's Book of Scary Stories and Songs

A seasoned collector of tales, Goode ( Diane Goode's American Christmas ; Diane Goode's Book of Silly Stories & Songs ) offers another worthwhile volume--even if its selections don't qualify as truly ``scary.'' Goode's impressive art contains some shadows and a detached eyeball or two--and depicts creatures somewhat more menacing than those found in Marc Brown's Scared Silly! (reviewed below). The stories, however, are rather tame, and the book will be appreciated more for its rich multicultural flavor than for its fright value. Longer and more sophisticated than the entries Brown gathers, Goode's tales draw on Native American, African American, English, Estonian and Italian folklore traditions. A smattering of poems and songs (including the perennial favorite, ``The Worms Crawl In,'' guaranteed to make anyone squirm) round out this rousing collection. All ages. (Sept.)