Product Description

Jesse Bear has a wonderful time getting ready for Halloween. He loves carving pumpkins and trying on costumes. But when it comes time for trick-or-treating, Jesse gets scared. With his parents by his side, Jesse soon builds up the courage to put on his scary mask -- and even plays a trick of his own!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #212230 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Jesse Bear and family are preparing for Halloween. After a trip to Panda Pete's Pumpkin Patch, father and son make a jack-o'-lantern. As Mama Bear approaches, they light it, turn out the lights, and moan to frighten her. She exclaims, "What a scare, Jesse Bear!" Then it's time for costumes. When Jesse Bear dons a mask and looks in the mirror, he frightens himself. His parents say, "What a scare, Jesse Bear!" Back at home after a night of trick-or-treating, the little bear puts on his mask and yells "Booooooooo," to a final chorus of "What a scare, Jesse Bear!" The brief rhyming story is excellent preparation for young children who may be trick-or-treating for the first time. The brightly colored pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are filled with happy faces, showing that Halloween is a time for fun, not frights. The story and pictures fit together perfectly. A worthy choice for circulating and for Halloween storyhours.
Anne Parker, Milton Public Library, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Carlstrom and Degen team up again for the eighth book in their popular Jesse Bear series. This time Jesse embarks on a Halloween adventure that proves both exciting and a bit scary. The lively rhyming verse and animated watercolor illustrations do a wonderful job of revealing Jesse's mixed emotions as he experiences all the traditional Halloween festivities. He's all smiles at the pumpkin farm, but he's scared when he sees himself in his monster bear mask. His fears surface again when he sees his friends in their costumes: "Who are all these creatures? No one looks the same. They screech and scream and yell out, `Boo!' How do they know my name?" But Mom and Dad are there for reassurance, and once back home, Jesse is even feeling confident enough to give Grandma and Grandpa a scare. Another fun-filled episode in a delightful series. Lauren Peterson

From Kirkus Reviews
In a bouncing rhyme, Jesse Bear (Let's Count It Out, Jesse Bear, 1996, etc.) celebrates Halloween. As usual, Jesse has the niftiest of festivities while solving a very typical child difficulty. He goes with his parents and grandmother to pick their own pumpkin, comes home to carve it, and then goes up to the attic. It's a veritable treasure trove of stuff, and Papa and Mama dress up in vampire fangs and tutu. Jesse is overcome by his own scary mask, but is soon reassured by the familiarity of neighbors, parents, and friends in costume. Pumpkin lights festoon a trellis, neighbors sing a ``wobbly goblin song,'' and Jesse and his parents go home to a feast made by his grandparents. It's a dream Halloween, indeed. (Picture book. 3-6) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Halloween is a wonderful and terrible thing when you're 2.
The best Halloween book for little ones out there! Carlstrom does a fantastic job of capturing the excitement, delight, and apprehension that Halloween brings to small people. Jesse, Papa and Grandma visit the pumpkin patch and carve a pumpkin, which is great fun. But turn out the lights and light the jack o'lantern, and it's a little bit scary. For his costume, Jesse finds the perfect mask -- then scares himself silly when he puts it on and looks in the mirror. Trick or treating sounds good in theory, but where did all these other spooky folks come from? If you have a little person who's both delighted and terrified by Halloween, this is the perfect book for you. If not, buy it just for the rollicking rhyme and gorgeous illustrations. A must-have for all toddler households.

We love Jesse!
Our son loves the illustrations and rhymes in the Jesse Bear series. Jesse Bear is consistently a favorite read at bedtime.

Great, Entertaining, Colorful
My 2-1/2-year-old LOVES this book. I took a chance and ordered it without reading much about it, but what a great find. She wants it read to her at least a few times a week. The pictures are delightful and the story is adorable. The refrain, WHAT A SCARE, JESSE BEAR is so fun for a child to say every couple of pages, and gets him/her involved in the story.