A bear, a bobcat, and three ghosts

A Bear, a Bobcat, and Three Ghosts — a slightly surreal Halloween poem written in loose blank verse, follows the wandering trader Timothy Todd on his nocturnal adventure. On the eve of Halloween, Todd sets out to visit old friends — to sell a bit, buy a bit, and share some sweets with the children. But when he arrives at his friend Moore’s mill, the miller and his wife can’t find their mischievous boy Jack. Instead, three ghosts are dancing among the autumn leaves in the backyard. Without much thought, Todd and the Moores run after them — soon joined by a widow searching for her two lost little ones, a bear, and a bobcat.

The chase turns delightfully confusing — it becomes unclear who’s pursuing whom. Yet, as every true Halloween story should, it ends in laughter, popcorn, and pumpkin pie.

Rockwell’s witty, stylish illustrations — in striking shades of orange and black — capture the playful eeriness of the tale. Her visual style often shifted from book to book, but her work was always marked by warmth, rhythm, and humor.