John, a scaredy-cat pig, is afraid to go trick-or-treating with his friends and hides in the safety of his home until the front door starts creaking. A porcine witch appears, cooks up some treats, and soon his house is full of ghoulish beasts. While the guests eat and party, John gets in the groove, finding there's nothing to fear from this motley crew or Halloween. McPhail's watercolor-and-pen art extends and enriches the text. His expressive hallmark pigs demonstrate feelings children can easily identify with and his monsters are portrayed as fun-loving creatures. Waldron's rhymes, in the sometimes-strained style of the "Night Before Christmas," beg to be read aloud. While the writing is not as successful as in the author's Angel Pig (Dutton, 1997), this book has broad appeal for groups and individual reading. Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.