When Eliott asks his Grandpa Bud how to carve a scary jack-o-lantern one Halloween season, his grandfather gives him a set of instructions that are full of frightening fun. Following a black cat out of town on a moonlit night, the seeker must confront and follow any number of scary creatures - skeletons, ghosts, bats - to the cabin of the snaggle-toothed witch, in a clearing in the woods. Here the seeker must snatch the large orange pumpkin she is holding, and make it back to town, where it can be carved into the desired jack-o-lantern...

Having enjoyed author Joanne Barkan and illustrator Jody Wheeler's A Very Scary Witch Story, I decided to seek out this companion tale, and I am not sorry I did. It's a small paperback picture-book, featuring an engaging Halloween story full of spooky fun, and colorful, expressive illustrations which perfectly capture the chills and thrills of the midnight walk being described by Grandpa Bud. Like its witchy counterpart, it features elements that glow in the dark, if prepared first with a flashlight. Although not spectacular, all in all this was an entertaining little Halloween tale, and is one I would recommend to picture-book readers looking for scary fare. ( )

"A Very Scary Jack O Lantern" is a fun Halloween story that describes the process of carving a scary jack o' lantern. Eliott, a young boy, asks his Grandpa Bud how to carve a scary jack o' lantern. Grandpa Bud tells Eliott that he must successful pass the spooky cornfield and pond and find a secluded hut in the middle of a wooded area. Inside the hut is the yellow-eyed, snaggle-toothed witch with a pumpkin.Once he retrieves the pumpkin, he will then be scared enough to carve a very scary jack o' lantern.

This story would be great to read to children around Halloween. Plus, the glow in the dark feature is cool! There is a build up of suspense but the story is not too scary for children. There are great pictures and overall, the story is fun. ( )

This is a cute Halloween book with glow-in-the-dark images on the pages. My son enjoyed it a lot. ( )