Urra’s playful, encouraging picture book for young children follows a black cat named Shadow as she learns Halloween isn’t as scary as she thinks. Shadow loves a lot of things about the spookiest night of the year, particularly meeting new kids who pet her and give her treats, but she’s not so fond of ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, witches, and other unknown creatures that lurk behind the trees. When a bat swoops down from the sky and narrowly misses Shadow’s head, she panics and darts into a nearby cottage—but instead of finding solace, she discovers the house belongs to a witch. She tries again to run but instead bumps into a table and spills vials of random potions all over her fur.

It only takes Shadow a moment to realize what she’s done, and then she begins to transform into everything that frightens her: a bat, a ghost, a jack-o-lantern, and finally a witch. With each experience, she learns that these traditional Halloween characters are not what she imagined—the ghost, for instance, is surprisingly calm and peaceful, and the pumpkin feels warm and cozy. She learns to love witches as well when the house’s owner invites Shadow to stay as long as she likes, and Shadow promptly curls up in front of the fire to take a well-deserved nap.

Nicely setting the stage, Emilija Marija Navelskyte’s illustrations favor a fall-themed palette, with most scenes awash in shades of orange, green, purple, and gray. Wide-eyed Shadow wears an orange turtleneck sweater as she tiptoes through haunted landscapes, walking on two legs and showing recognizably human expressions of happiness, fear, and annoyance. Ultimately Shadow’s experiences will encourage kids to take a closer look at the things that scare them while also normalizing (and having a little fun with) the very real fear many young people feel during spooky season.

Takeaway: Encouraging story of a black cat discovering Halloween isn’t as scary as she thinks.

Comparable Titles: Kyle Sullivan’s Hazel and the Spooky Season, Alina Tysoe’s Emi Isn’t Scared of Monsters.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A