Geronimo Stilton, an adult mouse of undetermined mouse-years, and his nine-year-old nephew Benjamin are anticipating a joyous Halloween celebration. They visit a themed Halloween store to buy amusing items for the party. Geronimo returns to the store the following day, wanting to surprise Benjamin with additional amusements, and finds the store empty, the victim of a mysterious thief. Stilton receives mysterious communications from a stranger, inviting him to a Halloween party. The entire town population of Mouse City is lured to the mysterious attraction. When all of the unsuspecting towns-mice are entrapped at Mystery Park, Stilton and Hercule Poirat (Agatha Cristie reference) figure out the evildoers’ grand plan.
This 2003 trade paperback features a mixture of large and colorful fonts, emphasizing key words, phrases, or other story points. Numerous small illustrations support the text, and there are several full-page drawings. These drawings provide details related to the story line, such as the layout of the villains’ mysterious tower. Following the conclusion of the story, two sections describe Halloween décor ideas, and illustrate other Stilton titles.
Suggested for grade 2, or age 7 and higher, this series invites detailed exploration of the rich illustrations that support the story. Readers at this age may find the extension possibilities very engaging, tracking story action on the Mouseville map, or lingering over the details of the mysterious villains’ tower. This reviewer did not detect substantially controversial or questionable content. There are numerous vocabulary extensions possible, as key words appear in alternative fonts and colors. Invented words, such as ‘fabumouse’ invite opportunities for students to begin thinking about root words, and deciphering made-up words through an apparent root and the context in which the word is used.
This story resembles How The Grinch Stole Christmas, lending itself to comparative study. Additional cultural references may include comparisons to dia de los muertos. Similar texts for students who enjoy this series might include Nate the Great (ISBN 10: 044046126X) or the Cam Jansen series.
The story is primarily void of specific cultural references, set within the generic concept of Halloween that many middle class Americans hold.