The Crayons return in time for Halloween as vampire-costumed Purple coaches the dressed-up wax pack through its first trick-or-treating venture. It takes five houses' worth of door-knocks for this skeleton crew of seven to perfect the protocol, with enough outlandish flubs to generate giggles in Halloween-savvy preschoolers. At Door No. 1, Orange, dressed as a jack-o'-lantern, says, "Give us your candy, Lady." At the next, the gang, encouraged by Purple to "think holiday," responds with an impressive array of misguided greetings, including "Merry Christmas!" and "Happy American Cheese Month!" Later, White, levitating impressively in a ghost costume, overreacts to Halloween's "scary" aspect by overwhelming residents with a "BOO!" Peach, unnamed here but recognizably wrapperless from the initial title, exuberantly (and inappropriately) repeats, "I'm naked!" Finally, the troupe perfects its treat-inducing line, though a certain ghost cannot resist an ad lib. This excursion, like many of the holiday-themed Crayon books, has a smaller trim size, a lower price point, and far less complexity than Daywalt and Jeffers' first two Crayon titles. Still, the pair deftly let young children in on the jokes through funny, hand-lettered dialogue and the visually telegraphed, all-in haplessness of this well-branded band. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A laugh-inducing Halloween read-along. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Costumes? Check. Enthusiasm? Check. Door-knocking protocol? Not so much. Halloween night is off to a rough start in this spin-off from Daywalt and Jeffers, in which the crayons make some hilarious missteps when they head out trick-or-treating. Orange, fittingly dressed as a jack-o'-lantern, assures rule-follower Purple, sporting a sharp vampire getup, that the crayon crew knows just what to do, but the group proves unsure what to say when they knock on their neighbors' doors. Orange tries the first residence, saying "Give us your candy, lady," as Peach, wearing the crayon box, calls back to the original book, exclaiming, "I'm naked!" Subsequent stops prove equally silly as Purple, alongside bat-winged Black, coaches the pals on the holiday's conventional greeting, and finally gets everyone in line. This book's diminutive trim size and classic costumes make for predictably pleasing snack-size fun. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)

The crayons from The Day the Crayons Quit (rev. 11/13) and The Day the Crayons Came Home (rev. 9/15) (among others) are back in this fun-size book. Excited about the holiday, the gang heads out in color-appropriate costumes and high spirits. But Orange (pumpkin), Green (witch), Gray (wolf), and Peach ("I'm naked") don't have a clue about what to say. White (ghost), Black (bat), and Purple (vampire) try to coach them, but it's going to take more than hints like "think holiday" and "be polite." Fans of the colorful cast will enjoy this silly confection. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.