Don't Open the Door! Book

Having been warned not to open the door for anyone while Mom goes to help a neighbor, the three boys try to outdo each other by telling scary stories about strangers at the door. By the time they have finished, they have scared themselves under the bed. Stories in this book come from Bohemia, the Guyanas, and Peru and are based on the universal theme of not opening the door to strangers.

Children's Literature

Three young boys tell each other three scary stories at a sleepover in this first of the "Easy to Read Spooky Tales" series. The stories, based on different international folktales, are about bad things that happen to children when, left alone at home—they open their doors to strangers. In the first, a Guyanese tale, a young girl is tricked into opening the door by a goblin. The second tale is about a young boy who is captured by three wicked wooden maidens. The boys are in the middle of the third tale, a Peruvian legend about Capusa, a witch, who tricks a girl by claiming that she has found the girl's lamb, when they experience their own spooky incident. The supernatural folktales are age-appropriate and offer "safe" thrills for the youngest readers. Books to follow in the series include Don't Go into the Forest and Don't Go Near the Water. 2001, Stoddart Kids/Stoddart, . Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Valerie O. Patterson