# Need help identifying a spooky book of tales for children

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-spooky-book-of-tales-for-children/616012>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 16, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-spooky-book-of-tales-for-children/616012 "2012-03-16T23:16:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-spooky-book-of-tales-for-children/616012/1 "2012-03-16T23:16:14Z")

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I swear already asked the SDMB about this and got the answer, and bought a used copy of the book for my sister, but I can’t find the thread.

Anyway, in the late 70s/early 80s my sister and I had a paperback book of spooky tales. Our edition had a lightbulb on the cover, but I know other editions had other pictures or illustrations on the cover.

Some of the stories included:

- a big pile of dirt(?) that mysteriously appeared and then disappeared, leaving devil’s paintbrushes growing on the spot where it was
- a scary whistling sound that caused a person’s (or dog’s?) hair to turn white
- a witch who turned into a cat and rode a horse (the horses mane git braided somehow)

Any ideas? I think it had a simple title like “Uncanny”

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**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-spooky-book-of-tales-for-children/616012/2 "2012-03-16T23:23:08Z")

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I thought it might have been one of the Scary Storiesbooks based on stories, but none of them ever had a light bulb on the cover.

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**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-spooky-book-of-tales-for-children/616012/3 "2012-03-16T23:24:35Z")

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That’s the right genre, but not the exact one we had. It might help me do a “similar item” type of search though!

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**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-spooky-book-of-tales-for-children/616012/4 "2012-03-17T00:35:55Z")

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It’s **Strangely Enough** by C.B. Colby

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**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-spooky-book-of-tales-for-children/616012/5 "2012-03-17T00:47:06Z")

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> [@Stephe96](#):
>
> It’s **Strangely Enough** by C.B. Colby

YES!!! Thank you!!!

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**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-spooky-book-of-tales-for-children/616012/6 "2012-03-17T00:50:17Z")

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[Here is the cover](http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=3477267694&searchurl=sts%3Dt%26tn%3Dstrangely%2Benough%26x%3D0%26y%3D0) our edition had.