Scholastic book cover: "Superstitious? Here's Why!"

• Title: Superstitious? Here's Why!
• Authors: Julie Forsyth Batchelor & Claudia De Lys
• Illustrator: Erik Blegvad (1923-2014). Three of his illustrations are shown below.
• Publisher: Scholastic Book Services (TX 1354)
• Cover price: None listed
• Year: Original copyright is 1954. This Scholastic edition is the first printing from April 1969.
• Pages: 129
• Format: Paperback
• Back-cover blurb: "Do you knock on wood for luck? Avoid black cats? Go around ladders? Throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder? Find out about these superstitions and dozens more that people have believed in since ancient times."
• First sentence: Superstitions were part of the language and background of most of us as children.
• Last sentences: If you happen to be afraid of witches try the counter-magic of placing a broom across your doorway. No witch, it is said, can ever resist a broomstick. So she'll hop right on yours and fly away!
• Random sentence from middle: Another is to rub a grain of barley on the wart, then feed it to a chicken.
• Rating on Amazon: 5.0 stars (out of 5)
• Amazon review excerpt: In 2005, C.L. Wilson wrote: "What a fascinating little gem, written in early 50s. ... In fact, I copied the whole chapter on 'romance' to give to my son and daughter-in-law on their wedding anniversary."
• Rating on Goodreads: 3.59 stars (out of 5)
• Goodreads review excerpt: In 2016, Steve wrote: "The artwork is wonderful and keeps you wondering what the next illustration will be, and what the cat will be doing that appears in each of them."