Gus and his dog Ella “had been friends for a long, long time.” Ella is old and knows she won’t be around long. “But no matter what happens, I’ll always be with you.” After Ella is gone, Gus doesn’t want to do much of anything. He’s a reluctant trick-or-treater on Halloween, and as he makes his way home through the graveyard in his skeleton costume he’s surrounded by the real thing—skeletons who want him to join their revelry. When Gus removes his mask and explain he’s a boy, the skeletons turn threatening. Enter ... Ella! Now a skeleton dog, she swoops in and saves the day ... with a little help from the real dogs she calls with her howling. Eric Rohmann’s picture book works on one level as a terrifically entertaining—and just a little bit scary—Halloween story, but it’s also a sensitive approach to the death of a pet, making it a book to share any time of the year. Rohmann’s black-bordered, richly hued illustrations are superb, heightening both the humor and the poignancy, and hinting at drama that’s happening off stage. (Ages 4–8)