Willa’s Monster Muddle

Willa is excited. She has been invited to a fancy-dress party – and Mum has been invited as well. What should they wear? The wicked witch costume is perfect and Mum looks good in it as well. All her friends are going to the party as well and Willa waves to them as they pass – then oops! She bumps into another little witch. They must be going to the same place. Or are they? There is certainly a party going on – but is this the party on Willa’s invitation? And where is Mum?

This enjoyable picture book by Fabi Santiago will delight its young audience. Willa is an engaging character and her audience will quickly realise what is going on as Willa moves from floor to floor in this spooky house encountering strange guests in every room – clearly none of them Willa’s friends. However, Santiago lands Willa safely back where she should be. The bold illustrations full of saturated colour and action – the page involving skeletons dancing a particular delight – bring Willa’s search for Mum to vivid life. There are clever visual jokes as Santiago moves from full page spreads to comic strip, another technique that keeps the pages turning. While the setting is suitably macabre and spooky, the humour within the illustrations keeps fear at bay and there is a happy ending – with cake. An ideal story for those Halloween events – but one that can be read with a pleasurable frisson at any time.