Carl's Halloween

July 27, 2015
What better time than Halloween for rottweiler babysitter Carl and his human charge, Madeleine, to get up to a little mischief? In this holiday addition to Day’s long-running series, when Madeleine’s mother steps out to visit Grandma, she invites daughter and dog to pass out Halloween candy at home. They have other ideas, donning costumes (a necklace for Carl, a feathered hat for Madeleine) and setting out to acquire candy of their own and attend a Halloween party. Day’s paintings exude a tender, homespun charm, underscoring the idea that Madeleine is safe as can be with her stalwart protector. Cozy details abound—vintage-looking paper decorations adorn the party where costumed children (and Carl) bob for apples and play a toilet-paper mummy-wrapping game—and Day concludes with a zinger, as Madeleine’s mother returns to tell them, “Next year, you two will be able to go trick-or-treating yourselves.” Ages 3–7.

August 1, 2015
In this long-running series of nearly wordless picture books, young Madeleine and her beloved Rottweiler, Carl, set off for a Halloween evening adventure. The book opens with Madeleine and Carl greeting trick-or-treaters at their front door. While they offer candies to the costumed kids, the girl's mother is off to the side talking on the phone. Then, per series formula, the mother makes a decision that will make most parents uneasy. "I have to go help Grandma for a little while. You can hand out candy to any children who come." Once the mother leaves, chubby preschooler Madeleine begins to decorate Carl with beaded necklaces. She then finds a big floppy hat to wear, and off they go into the night, trick-or-treating with abandon and even attending a Halloween party. Vignettes show the two enjoying themselves until it is time to turn toward home. With Madeleine riding on Carl's back, they make it home right before the mother returns. The mother comments that "next year, you two will be able to go trick-or-treating yourselves." Although children may wish they had such independence to go off on their own, the reality is that this title may be more an example of what not to do on Halloween night than anything else. All but extreme fans of the series can pass on this slim title. (Picture book. 3-5)

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September 1, 2015

PreS-In this addition to the long-running series, the lovable Rottweiler takes his young companion trick-or-treating throughout their neighborhood. To make the rounds, Carl is decked out in colorful beads from Mom's jewelry box and Madeline wears a fancy hat with red feathers borrowed from the armoire. As in the previous books, most of the action is relayed through wordless spreads. Day's luminous watercolor illustrations capture the magic of the evening's festivities, with glowing jack-o'-lantern decorations and sidewalks full of costumed children. The pair attend a party where they bob for apples and Carl briefly gets wrapped up in a toilet paper "Mummy" game. Before darkness falls, they race home and return all evidence of their escapades. VERDICT Carl fans will enjoy this latest adventure.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2015
Preschool-G The first book about the rottweiler Carl and his young charge, Madeleine, appeared on the scene in 1985, and 30 years and many adventures later, they are still sneaking out for some fun. In this installment, the duo is left home alone to dole out Halloween candy. Instead they don a necklace (Carl) and a feathered hat (Madeleine), go trick-or-treating, and join in games at a costume party. Of course they return home before they are discovered, and in a little twist of irony, Madeleine's mother declares, Next year, you two will be able to go trick-or-treating yourselves. With only a few sentences of text used when needed, the simple story comes to life, as usual with the Carl stories, through the illustrations. The paintings show a little more polish than the early books, with much dazzling holiday detail in the trick-or-treating and party scenes. The sleek black-and-tan Carl looks particularly handsome and as noble as ever. Fans will certainly embrace this new, yet comfortably familiar outing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2015
When Mom blithely announces that she's going over to Grandma's for a while and that Rottweiler Carl and his girl (Good Dog, Carl and sequels) can hand out the candy to trick-or-treaters, well, you can see from this Horn Book's cover illustration that things don't go exactly like that. Carl and the little girl take over the action in a series of wordless, sumptuous double-page spreads, donning the most minimal of costumes (a necklace for Carl; a hat for the girl) to join the Halloween festivities. Gratifyingly, Carl never looks anything but doglike, although his facial expressions belie his care for the girl as he gently guidesand eventually carriesher about the neighborhood. Per usual, the watercolor illustrations are gloriously hued, the red feather in the girl's hat gorgeous against the October evening sky. roger sutton

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)