What a Scare, Jesse Bear

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Jesse Bear and family are preparing for Halloween. After a trip to Panda Pete's Pumpkin Patch, father and son make a jack-o'-lantern. As Mama Bear approaches, they light it, turn out the lights, and moan to frighten her. She exclaims, "What a scare, Jesse Bear!" Then it's time for costumes. When Jesse Bear dons a mask and looks in the mirror, he frightens himself. His parents say, "What a scare, Jesse Bear!" Back at home after a night of trick-or-treating, the little bear puts on his mask and yells "Booooooooo," to a final chorus of "What a scare, Jesse Bear!" The brief rhyming story is excellent preparation for young children who may be trick-or-treating for the first time. The brightly colored pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are filled with happy faces, showing that Halloween is a time for fun, not frights. The story and pictures fit together perfectly. A worthy choice for circulating and for Halloween storyhours.