This Is What Halloween Looks Like

When I close my eyes and think of Halloween this is what I see. 


Looking at the illustration I can also smell autumn leaves, smoldering candles and hear wind rustling through barren branches.

The illustration is from a children’s book called The Pumpkin Smasher written and illustrated by Anita Benarde.

Published in 1972 this book is a delightful tale of a small town considering cancelling Halloween due to a mysterious vandal smashing all of the town’s pumpkins.

The book is thirty-two pages of Halloween nostalgia, a rare trip to a much simpler time where anything was possible, especially on Halloween night.

The Pumpkin Smasher is currently out of print, I was fortunate enough to find a copy at a local thrift store for a quarter, not a bad price for a trip back in time.