Henry and his 180-pound dog Mudge are best friends forever. And in this fourth book of their adventures they share jack-o'-lanterns, ghost stories, and Aunt Sally.

Henry and Mudge are back in three easy-to-read stories that cele brate the fall season. In each, the spe cial friendship between this small boy and his enormous dog shines through in both the simple text and in the energetic watercolors in warm autumnal colors. In the first story, Henry and Mudge ex plore the woods while Rylant notes the similarities and differences between the boy and the dog (``Henry's ears turned red and Mudge's ears turned inside out''). A Halloween story addresses children's fears. The humor of this one comes from discovering that lumbering Mudge is the most frightened of all. The final story, set at Thanksgiving, shows Henry beginning to accept a previously disliked relative. All three are on target in their humor and in the way that they speak directly to the concerns of chil dren. In any season, young readers are sure to enjoy the time they spend with Henry and Mudge.