The Fall of the House of Borgia

Set to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell," and featuring vibrant collage artwork, a delightfully scary tale follows a little girl as she observes Mummy's huge Halloween party where vampires bob for apples and a band plays spine tingling songs.

reSchool-Grade 2-Set to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell," this Halloween story is a winner for sharing with one child or a group. Starting with "The witch casts a spell," the song tells of a scarecrow, a mummy, a vampire, goblins, and ghosts having a party. A small girl who watches the action from afar is spotted and invited to join the ghastly group. "Finger" food and a blood-red beverage are among the treats served to the guests. Olsen's bright acrylics and collage on handmade paper embellish the double-spread illustrations with rich details. Each page offers a second, elongated picture decorated with Halloween symbols and letters that spell out a word or a message. After the celebration, the party goers return home and remove their disguises, including the "girl," who is actually a purple-faced witch, wart and all. Children know the tune and will easily join in after hearing the first few words of each stanza and the repeated refrain. An enjoyable holiday story that encourages participation.
Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

In her promising children's debut, Olsen creates elaborately patterned yet harmonious folk-art collages for Williams's (My Dog Never Says Please) Halloween version of "The Farmer in the Dell." Incorporating fabrics, paint and cut paper, the large horizontal collage illustrations show goblins, ghosts and the rest of the usual suspects at a costume jamboree; below, a narrow panel extends the joke (e.g., pumpkin lanterns spell out "Boo to you"). When a curious girl and her cat stop by, they are welcomed inside. Finally, "the clock sends them home. The clock sends them home...." and the humans remove their masks. So does the party-crasher, who, underneath her Shirley Temple getup, is a lilac-faced crone. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreS-Gr. 2. Especially around Halloween, young readers (and listeners) will enjoy this fun take on the familiar song "The Farmer in the Dell." At a rollicking Halloween party "the vampire serves the drinks, the vampires serve the drinks," the goblins chase the ghosts, the scarecrow comes alive, and the mummy lets them in. The intricate mixed-media illustrations with handmade collage in folklore style combine bright colors with a deep, nighttime palette to show costumed trick-or-treaters swooping and swirling to the music of the ghoulish band. The images are not overly scary, and at the end Williams makes sure to show that the witches, wolves, spooks, and other potentially frightening folk take off their costumes and "all change for bed." The trim book, slightly smaller than a traditional picture book, will fit small hands nicely. A musical score is included. Diane Foote
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