Darlene Halloween and the Great Chicago Fire

by Peter J. Welling

" A] fun story of how Halloween came to be named--and how some of its traditions evolved."
--Midwest Book Review

"A delightful children's story."
--Cannon Courier (Woodbury, TN)

In a pumpkin patch in south Chicago, a family of field mice is captured as main ingredients for a witch's brew. When they fight back, the mayhem they cause results in the Great Chicago Fire--and the defeat of the last witch in the city.

This tongue-twister tall tale about how Halloween came to be is a delightful picture book by writer/illustrator Peter J. Welling. Each of Welling's books tells a story of a popular or lesser-known holiday or event and contains his signature multilayered writing and illustrations with puns and jokes embedded in the dialogue, descriptions, and drawings.

Welling's combination of historical fact mixed with fanciful fiction offers a clever explanation for familiar Halloween traditions like jack-o'-lanterns and trick-or-treating. Each page is full of surprising "cause and effect" examples that will have kids and parents alike wanting to know more about these real and imagined events.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1589804791
• ISBN13: 9781589804791
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 9.3" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3