The 2017 reillustrations are fine: cartoony and gothic, they lean Burton-esque and are at their best in the title story, where background details take precedence and the colors are darker. The original illustrations are better, even given their now-dated color palette. The shapes are dynamic, deceptively staid for the memorable "The Green Ribbon," cartoony when it benefits; there's a willingness not to show the gotcha, which sparks the imagination (see: "The Pirate").

I've been browsing a bit of Schwartz lately and it amazes me how brief the stories are, how densely packed they can be. It doesn't make for great reading as an adult, honestly. But as a kid, the invitation to extrapolate from the brevity and what's omitted from (or present only in) illustrations, plus the smorgasbord of potential nightmare fuel, must have worked remarkably well because there are stories I still remember--and rereading them is fine, but remembering them intrigues and frightens me. So while this was interesting to revisit, I won't do an exhaustive reread; Schwartz isn't meant for me anymore. But if fresh illustrations means he can brainworm a new generation, then I'm all for it.