Spookyrumpus

The kids’ll love it. But only the more robust five-year olds, who can cope with witches and ghosts and owls and skeletons and spiders and trolls. The story’s told in jolly rhyme: ‘Bong! goes the bell in the rickety tower, Twelve times… that means it’s Spooky Hour.’ Lurid green and purple figures cavort against a backdrop of midnight and moons, but they all look benign enough. There’s a count down from 12, and on each page a reducing number of things to count, including seven scary cats with eyes that glow. At the end there is one great birthday pumpkin pie, and a merry spooks party. All in all, a bewitching counting book.