Introduce young readers to a favorite Halloween custom

Has your little trick-or-treater ever asked why we carve pumpkins and light them up? The Story of the Jack O'Lantern is a wonderful introduction to one of our favorite Halloween customs.

As told in the back of the book, the Story of the Jack O'Lantern comes from many Irish folktales. Most tell about a stingy man named Jack who managed to trick the devil, only to receive his comeuppance when he died. Jack was left to wander the earth, carrying a lantern carved from a turnip!

It's not the easiest story to explain to a child, but  Katherine Tegen does a great job introducing us to greedy Jack and how he meets a strange man. Hopefully it will spark an interest with young readers to question why we do certain things and hold certain holiday traditions.

Brandon Dorman seems to be the man to turn to for Halloween illustrations as he also illustrated Halloween Night and both are sure to delight.

Additional Information:
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (July 27, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0061430889
ISBN-13: 978-0061430886
Source of review copy: Publisher

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