I first heard about Scary Godmother after seeing a review on the internet talking about the special that aired on Cartoon Network in 2004. Even though I never saw the special as a kid, adult me today thinks the special is pretty dumb, but in a playful campy kind of way that in the end it's pretty harmless overall. Soon I realized that the special was based on a picture book of the same name as it was written and illustrated by Jill Thompson. I was curious to find out how the book differed from the 2004 special and surely enough I was in for a Halloween treat.
The book I received has five separate tales all focused around the halloween season and the scary godmother herself. The first story is about Hannah learning to get over her fears when she goes trick or treating with the big kids as they trick her by having her visit a haunted house. The second story is about Hannah’s cousin Jimmy trying to stop Halloween from happening. The third story is about the scary godmother receiving an invitation from a secret admirer. The fourth story is about Hannah taking over the duties and responsibilities of a sick scary godmother. The fifth and final story is about the scary godmother hosting a tea party for her friends.
The stories in the book are all cute and very fun as they take advantage of the spooky season and give us timeless tales that are perfect for an annual Halloween read. Each story is plagued with memorable characters that have interesting personalities and likable features. The stories are not especially complex or littered with subtle morals for adults, but that’s not what the scary godmother is all about. In some ways Scary Godmother can be compared to stories like Rudolph or The Nightmare Before Christmas as they provide simple to understand concepts that anyone at an age can understand and enjoy.
The Illustrations look like they were painted with watercolors which creates a soft and gentle feel that is great at creating a certain innocence to make you feel like a little kid again. The streets of the neighborhood have beautiful night hues and fall colors as well as having Halloween decorations covering the houses. There are even some creative visual styles such as the Scary Godmothers headquarters as it seems warped and creepy but in a fun sort of way. Character designs are easily identifiable and their personalities really show in their postures and dialogue text boxes. There are clearly a lot of influences that are noticeable in the look and feel of Scary Godmother, but it still feels like it’s own thing thanks to Jill Thompson’s understanding of how to set a mood with great characters and simple but great dialogue.
Even for something that was made for kids, Scary Godmother manages to stand the test of time with its Halloween themed stories, lovable characters and beautiful illustrations. This is the perfect Halloween read and it’s guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit one way or another.
(Final Grade: A)