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The Story of the Jack O'Lantern

by Katherine Tegen
32p. 978-0-06143-088-6.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—In this poorly executed story that is based on Irish folktales, greedy Jack meets a strange man whom others say is the devil. Thinking only of his hunger, he gorges himself on fine foods after agreeing to repay the debt on the day he dies. Years later, on Halloween, the devil comes to collect the money and finds the man carving a pumpkin for soup on his doorstep. With murderous intent, the devil throws a burning coal at Jack, who catches it in the freshly carved pumpkin. Surviving the attack, he is condemned to wander the Earth after death. He carries his glowing pumpkin with him on his travels, and so is named "Jack of the lantern." Dorman's Photoshop painted illustrations are appropriately creepy and extremely imaginative; the devil's feet alone are enough to bring on a case of the shivers. The text, however, is awkward and confusing. With so many quality Halloween picture books available, most libraries can skip this one.—Heather Acerro, Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN
Drawing from several Irish folktales, Tegen tells the story of how the jack-o'-lantern came to be. A stingy and thieving man named Jack gets his comeuppance when he makes a dodgy deal with the devil. Rich-hued, detailed illustrations complement the spooky tale. Additional details about the history of the jack-o'-lantern conclude the book.
Reviewed by Heather Acerro , Jul 01, 2010

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