In a pumpkin patch in south Chicago, a family of field mice is captured as main ingredients for a witchs brew. When they fight back, the mayhem they cause results in the Great Chicago Fireand the defeat of the last witch in the city. This whimsical tale featuring the varmint heroine Darlene Halloween describes how the holiday came to be named after her and offers a clever explanation for signature Halloween traditions like jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating. Peter Wellings sixth picture book for Pelican contains his signature multilayered writing and illustrations with puns and jokes embedded in the dialogue, descriptions, and drawings.

 

This book has been graded for interest at 4-8 years.

There are 32 pages in this book. This book was published 2007 by Pelican Publishing Co .

Peter Welling is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University South Bend and the Publisher's Choice Award for Exemplary Non-Fiction. In addition, his illustrations have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He is the author and illustrator of Darlene Halloween and the Great Chicago Fire; Joe Van der Katt and the Great Picket Fence; Justin Potemkin and the 500-Mile Race; Michael Le Souffle and the April Fool; Shawn O'Hisser, the Last Snake in Ireland; and Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow and the illustrator of The Kvetch Who Stole Hanukkah, What's Up With This chicken? and Back to School, Picky Little Witch! Welling lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.