One Halloween Night

Teague (Sweet Dream Pie) blends playground politics with supernatural wishful thinking. The superstitious hero knows things are off to a bad start when his mad-scientist costume turns pink in the wash. Then, with great trepidation, he and his misfit friends--a tomboy costumed as a fairy and a meek pirate chaperoning his little sister--go trick-or-treating. They endure the taunts of four witchy girls, but the joke is on the coven when the underdogs mysteriously acquire bully-defying magic powers. This witty tale gets a boost from hyperbolic, rough-and-tumble acrylics that echo William Joyce's nostalgic work. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)