Tired of his witch always casting spells - one of which turned him into a rat! - a large black cat named the So-So Cat (because he was "so, so black") hides the witch's wand, hat and broomstick. Intending to retrieve these magical tools when Halloween comes, the So-So Cat keeps silent as the witch wonders where each item has gone. When Halloween night finally arrives and he finds that the hidden objects have disappeared, he must set out in search of them. But will he be able to convince the little girl who found them, and is using them as her Halloween costume, that she must give them up...?

Published in 1964, The So-So Cat is the first book I have read from prolific children's author Edith Thacher Hurd, who wrote seventy books over the course of her career. I am far more familiar the author's husband and illustrator, Clement Hurd, whose work on such childhood classics as Good Night Moon and The Runaway Bunny is rightly celebrated. I found the story here entertaining, and full of lots of witchy fun. The artwork is quite dark, and is in a different style from some of Hurd's other illustrations. I'm not sure I particularly cared for the visuals, truth be told, although I do think they add to the feeling of spookiness throughout. Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy witchy fare, and to readers looking for vintage Halloween books for children. ( )