Witch, Goblin and Ghost—three friends living in the Haunted Woods—return in this third collection of short stories intended for early readers from author/illustrator team Sue Alexander and Jeanette Winter. In Goblin's Treasure, the eponymous Goblin starts digging up his own yard, convinced by a map with an X on it that there must be buried treasure. The Lake sees Goblin finding excuse after excuse to avoid joining his friends Witch and Ghost in a swimming outing, until it emerges that he is frightened, because he doesn't know how to swim. In The Game, Goblin and Witch play a game of hide-and-seek, while in Ghost's Story, Goblin is entertained by a spooky tale from his friend, one stormy night. Finally, in The Snowstorm, Goblin dreams that he is lost in the woods, only to be found and then lost again by his friends. When he wakes, he finds that all is well...

I enjoyed both Witch, Goblin, and Sometimes Ghost and More Witch, Goblin, and Ghost Stories, so I picked up Witch, Goblin, and Ghost in the Haunted Woods with a pleasant feeling of expectation. I was not disappointed, finding these gentle stories of friendship quite appealing, and the black and white illustrated charming. I initially sought out the books in this series because of my interest in witchy picture-books and early readers, only to discover that Goblin was the true star, rather than Witch. That being said, I have found that these books are well worth tracking down for their own sake. There isn't anything dramatic or sensational in Sue Alexander's tales, but something about her quiet depiction of these three good friends is very winsome, even reminding me at times of Arnold Lobel's famous Frog and Toad books. Of course, these are not quite the classics that Lobel's I Can Read Books are, but I do think they deserve an audience, and am sorry they are out of print. Jeanette Winter's artwork here is understated but expressive, and I particularly enjoyed the scene (naturally) in which Witch is flying on her broomstick through the snow—a very nice visual treat! All in all, this was a worthy successor to the two earlier collections featuring these characters, and despite the undeniably vintage feeling to it, should still have some appeal for beginning readers today, especially those who enjoy stories about friendship and/or (very non-spooky) supernatural beings. ( )