Trick or Treat?

One young Dracula is excited to go trick-or-treating (with his mom) in his family's apartment building on Halloween night. He visits Knicker Knocker on the second floor, who gives him candy bars, then Slipper Slopper on the third floor, whose treat is peanut cups. Wiggle Waggle on the fourth floor fills his bag with tangerine drops. The story continues in this vein until the young vampire visits the inhabitant of the 10th floor: Magic Merlin. But what's this? Magic Merlin has no treats, but a trick! He waves a magic wand and decrees everything to be "Wackbards!" As little Dracula works his way back down the apartment floors, everything is indeed backwards. Now, it's all tricks! Wiggle Waggle is Waggle Wiggle, and instead of tangerine drops, he offers whirling, twirling drangerine tops. Slipper Slopper is now Slopper Slipper and gives him a furry litter of ceanut pups instead of peanut cups. (One of the best and most interesting aspects of this book is illustrator Paul Meisel's wacky visual interpretations of these wackbards words.) Of course, by the time little Dracula gets home, the power of his daddy's hug breaks Merlin's spell and they "laughed and laughed" and "ate and ate." Part Halloween book, part goofy wordplay book, Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson, and Paul Meisel's Trick or Treat? is sure to please giggle-prone goblins with a penchant for beanut putter. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson