Enzo's Very Scary Halloween

Enzo (dog) and Zoe (human) are both gearing up for Halloween in Garth Stein’s ENZO’S VERY SCARY HALLOWEEN. The story starts with Denny (Zoe’s dad) introducing Enzo to the idea that Halloween might be a little frightening, and for the remainder of the book, Enzo tries to reconcile what he’s seeing with what he knows (and smells) of how the world works.

Halloween can be a little scary, and this story will help kids who might be inclined toward the freaked-out side of the holiday. At the same time, ENZO has way too many words… the illustrations are so expressive that the narrative could have been cut in half (or more) and the story would have been just as effective.

I don’t recommend ENZO’S VERY SCARY HALLOWEEN for younger preschoolers—I was reading to three-year-olds who fell asleep half way through the book—but older kids will appreciate Enzo’s apprehension about the scariest night of the year, and his relief when it’s all over with a happy ending. Zoe's delight with the holiday will strike a chord with those who love Halloween.

My thanks to the publisher and YA Books Central for a copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Enzo's Very Scary Halloween is a cute children's book that tells the story of an adorable puppy named Enzo and his experience with Halloween. Enzo is a little nervous about Halloween and when Zoe's Daddy comes in to tell her good night and read her a spooky Halloween bedtime story...Enzo gets a little bit nervous. Zoe is so excited about Halloween and loves listening to her Daddy's spooky stories. Zoe knows that Halloween is just a fun make-believe night full of kids dressed in costumes and candy but Enzo is convinced that their neighborhood is being taken over by goblins, ghosts and other creatures.

I loved how the book tells both sides of the story. We get to see the story how both Zoe and Enzo experience the night. Zoe knows that Halloween is just a fun night of make-believe but Enzo sees everything as scary and spooky and he truly believes that Zoe has a magic wand that is creating all the spooky things in the neighborhood.

My son and I have read this book just about every night for a week and we love it each time! Enzo is so cute and adorable and his imagination makes this story so fun and interesting.

The illustrations throughout the book are bright, colorful and very engaging. The characters and costumes are so cute and Enzo's facial expressions are so funny throughout the book. I loved that the characters are happy and just enjoying Halloween and they really bring out the real reason for the holiday which is fellowship and fun with friends!

I highly recommend this cute story for parents and kids to enjoy during the spooky (but not scary) Halloween month!!