Halloween

Halloween - Jerry Seinfeld

As the father of a four-and-a-half year old, my literary experiences have now been expanded into the kids section of the local mega-superzilla bookstore. I must confess that my son and I rarely purchase books from the store, instead opting to find a small collection of titles, grab a comfortable couch and read a few in quick succession, before grabbing some hot chocolate and chocolate chunk cookies at the coffee shop.

It was on one such expedition, that I spotted the latest Seinfeld opus - not a autobiography of his rise to fame, not a collection of scripts, lame jokes or his views on life or marriage, but an out-and-out kids book. Jerry Seinfeld's Halloween is definately not a literary prizewinner (the story is alright, but somewhat like listening to Jerry's traditional monologues), but it is a fun read with your child.

Short, witty and mostly enjoyable, with superlative and funny illustrations by James Bennett, it reminisces about the Halloween's of yesteryear, looking back at the various types of candy that you most want to receive, and the inevitable superman costume for young Jerry to wear. The book does a great job of illustrating Jerry as a kid (see here and you get the idea), but was less than stellar at keeping my son's attention. Devoid of any knowledge of Seinfeld, blissfully free of knowing the trivialities of Vandelay Industries, Festivus ("a Festivus for the rest-of-us') or Kramerica, my son preferred the much cheaper Scooby-Doo Mysteries.

More for adults who can chuckle at the in-jokes then for kids, Seinfeld's Halloween is good, but maybe sitting in the wrong section of the store. Is there a vanity press section in the mega-superzilla bookstore?