A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)
Chapter 1
The story begins with Wren, the protagonist, waking up to a sound outside her window. She soon realizes it’s a funny looking creature called Pookie, who has come to stay with her family. Wren is scared at first, but Pookie quickly turns into a loyal friend to Wren. He helps her protect her family from the mysterious swamp monster who has been visiting their yard.
Chapter 2
Wren and Pookie set off to find the source of the swamp monster. In the process, they learn more about Pookie’s strange powers, like the ability to float and the ability to see in the dark. They soon discover a mound of mud at the edge of the swamp that is home to a colony of creepy creatures.
Chapter 3
Wren and Pookie are shocked by what they find out about the creatures living in the swamp. They are living in fear of the swamp monster, and want it gone. Wren and Pookie come up with a plan to lure the monster away from the swamp using Pookie’s powers.
Chapter 4
Wren and Pookie devise a plan to use Pookie’s powers to drive the monster away. To do so, they must enlist the help of some of the creatures living in the swamp. However, they soon realize these creatures are far more dangerous than they expected and must use Pookie’s powers to outsmart them.
Chapter 5
Wren and Pookie enlist the help of the creatures in the swamp and they soon come up with a plan to lure the beast away from the swamp. They build a fake swamp monster and use Pookie’s powers to make it look real. The plan works and the swamp monster is fooled and gone.
Chapter 6
With the swamp monster gone, Wren and Pookie can return to their normal lives. Pookie stays with Wren’s family, and Wren learns to accept him. In the end, she realizes that Pookie is not only a loyal friend, but a powerful ally.
In conclusion, Spooky Pookie is an adventure something that truly strikes to the heart of readers. There is something special about the close bond between Wren and Pookie that ultimately saves the day. Learning the value of friendship and trust is an important lesson that readers can take away from this book. The ability to find skills in unlikely sources and the courage to face fears head on, are important messages that Wren and Pookie teach readers.