The Stumps of Flattop Hill

Everyone likes to be scared. Right? Even little ones. This little book is just the ticket for that need to feel a good fright. The illustrations alone will send a chill down tiny spines. They are all done in spooky shades of blacks, whites, and sepia tones. They will bring to mind the ominous drawings of Edward Gorey. They are filled with interesting details that add to the mystery of the story. The text is, to say the least, a bit odd. It is written in verse, but the meter is completely inconsistent, changing often throughout the book. And while some of the verse rhymes, some seem to try to rhyme with near rhymes, some not-so-near rhymes, and a great many internal rhymes when the line ends don’t rhyme. Some of the word choices will be difficult for the young audience. Not many six-year-olds will know what ginned means or what the River Styx implies. Sometimes the fonts or the arrangement of the type become art as well and contribute to the overall strangeness of the story. All that said, it seems to work pretty well. It will be a popular read-aloud, especially around Halloween.