Witch, Goblin and Ghost—three friends living in the Haunted Woods—return in this second collection of stories for beginning readers from author Sue Alexander and illustrator Jeanette Winter. In The Picnic, the three friends discover that even the rain can't ruin their fun, relocating to Witch's house, while in Goblin's Note, a feigned illness demonstrates that the friends do indeed care about one another. Goblin's Dragon addresses issues of bravery and exaggeration, while Goblin's World deals with seeing and appreciating the beauty around us. In Ghost's Fish we learn that one can't succeed at fishing through stories alone, while Goodnight, Goblin reveals that stories can be used to lull others to sleep...

Having enjoyed Witch, Goblin, and Sometimes Ghost: Six Read-Alone Stories—the first story collection about these characters from Alexander and Winter—I picked up More Witch, Goblin, and Ghost Stories with some anticipation, and I was not disappointed. The stories themselves are gentle but perceptive, simple but well-written. The pen and ink artwork is lovely, subtly capturing both the rotund charm of the characters, and their changing emotional states. Although I initially sought out these books because of their witchy content—witchy picture-books and early readers being a pet project of mine—having now read two of them, I think it safe to say that Goblin is the main character. That said, there was some witchy appeal here, and I did like that Witch is such a master fudge maker! Now that is a skill worth having. Recommended to beginning readers who enjoy stories about friendship, or featuring magical characters. ( )