Nancy Poydar

Eagerly anticipating the Halloween parade his class is holding at the end of the day, Arnold imagines how his pirate costume will win him the prize for being the "scariest of all." When he discovers that he left the bag with the costume on the school bus that morning, he is convinced that Halloween is ruined. Hiding himself away under a sheet when the other students dress up in their costumes, he ends up getting exactly what he wished for...

The Perfectly Horrible Halloween is the first picture-book I have read from author/illustrator Nancy Poydar, who appears to have worked on close to forty titles, some of which she also wrote, and some written by others. I found the story engaging, and the artwork appealing, and although I don't know that there was anything earth-shattering here, I do think a great many young people will be able to identify with Arnold's outsized sense of disappointment, when things don't go according to plan. It is often a challenge, especially when young, to understand that things aren't necessarily ruined, just because they turn out differently than expected. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for fun, school-centered Halloween stories.… (mais)

Shopping for a new pair of shoes, a lunchbox, and snacks worth sharing are all making Ivy Green very excited for the first day of school. Soon though, Ivy starts to imagine all of the things that could go wrong. What if she misses the bus or can't find her classroom? Little does Ivy know, even teachers, bus drivers, and janitors are all anxiously preparing for the first day of school. Everyone goes to sleep the night before school starts and dream of all the terrible things that could happen. When morning finally comes, they all arrive to school and their minds are put to ease when everything goes exactly as planned.

I think everyone can relate to how the characters' emotions change from the beginning to the end of this book. At some point in our educational journey, we've all felt nervous or overwhelmed for the first day of school. I love how the book showed teachers and other school faculty also feeling anxious while preparing themselves. Just like the characters in the book, (hopefully) we've also experienced the relief that comes after the first day is over and we realize everything is going to be ok.… (mais)