©2006 review by Fiona Broome and the Hollow Hill Staff
The title of Tricks & treats - the ultimate halloween book
sets the bar very high. Only the most fabulous books can claim to be "the ultimate"?
However, while this Reader's Digest book is good, it's rather dated and bland. In fact, I double-checked the copyright date to
see if it was from the 1980s or earlier. (No, it's a 1998 book.)
The "Cat Patrol" acorn squash project is clever. I like the Scaredy Cats quilt, too.
The costumes are very easy for parents who need a last-minute idea for little ones.
And, the recipes and foods include
store-bought items embellished with quick, fun decorations.
There is one area in which this book excels: Many Halloween books feature projects for very young
children, but few offer non-ghoulish projects for young teens. This book fills that gap.
Scouts and youth group leaders will find easy crafts projects for Halloween-themed meetings. The Partytime
Place Mats are a good choice for young teens. The Harvest Pumpkins are simple and could be created with
a variety of more interesting fabrics. There's an apron that would make a nice gift for any mom. A denim jacket
project could be modified for fabric paints.
In fact, this book might be a very good addition to your Scout troops' library, or the church's reference books shelf.
But, in general, this book is far from the "ultimate" and many of these projects (carved pumpkins, for example)
have been done better--with
more clear directions--in other books.
