The Light Inside

PreS-Gr 1–A wordless picture book about finding a lost toy in a Halloween town. A jack-o’-lantern child slips out of bed at night and goes in search of a stuffed purple mouse. During the course of an evening, there are hills to climb, caves to enter, and boats to ride—all of which result in a bit of worry for the young child, as they are far from home and entering unknown territory. But along the way, there are friendly encounters with a witch, ghosts, a black cat, and a huge octopus. These interactions bring the child closer to finding the lost toy and provide ways for all the characters to build up their courage and friendship skills. The illustrations contain a few Halloweenish sound effect words and several examples of how helping another person or animal can be beneficial to both parties. A few humorous drawings involving a skeleton provide a break from the tension of the story. Misdea’s artwork makes readers empathize with the creatures, as he shows them feeling fear, loneliness, and sadness like we do.