Ghost in the House

July 22, 2013
Writing in peppy, evocative verse, Paquette introduces the amiable residents of a haunted house, starting with a bloblike blue ghost, who is frightened when he hears a groan—until he learns that it belongs to a friendly, egg-headed mummy. Next, the two find an overgrown mustard-yellow monster, and “a skeleton makes four in the house,/ In the creepy haunted house,/ On this dark, spooky night, cold and bleak.” Record’s digital cartoons playfully suggest that fear is in the eye of the beholder as ghost, mummy, monster, and a witch flee in terror at the sight of a human boy in striped pajamas. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Shannon Associates.

August 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-"There's a ghost in the house/In the creepy haunted house/On this dark, spooky night, all alone./And he goes slip-slide/With a swoop and a glide/Until suddenly he hears... a groan!" The next page reveals a skinny mummy with an egg-shaped head; together they prowl around the house until they find a monster. The group discovers a skeleton and then a witch. But the last creature they find is the most frightening of all: a boy! The discovery sends the five creatures running from the house in a panic as the child calls, "Good night!" At first, the ghost and his friends are worried about who they will meet around the next corner, but smile when they encounter another of their ilk. This cumulative counting story consists of full-spread, digital artwork that features nonthreatening creatures set against smudgy backgrounds that evoke the feeling of an old, abandoned house. The simple rhyme has a bouncy rhythm that would make this book an enjoyable read-aloud for a not-so-scary storytime. This slightly spooky tale does not mention Halloween, so it can be enjoyed year-round.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
Counting to five and back provides the underlying structure of Paquette's innocuous ghost tale that challenges the preschool set to guess what spooky creature makes each sound. A friendly ghost in pale blue reveals himself after shouting "Boo!" At first he believes he is all alone until "he goes slip-slide / with a swoop and a glide / Until he hears... / A GROAN!" On the far right side of the facing page is a glimpse of the eyes of a figure and his bandaged hand. Astute readers will not have too much of a challenge guessing the mummy, monster, skeleton and witch from the visual hints that follow. Once the five creepy buddies are together, they get a bit of a shock when "a sudden FLASH / Makes them topple and crash, / And suddenly they hear... / 'WHO'S THERE?' " In an amusing though not original twist, the spooks are the ones frightened away and run from the innocuous little boy: "Five, four, three, two, one...!" Record creates the benign characters digitally, and the spreads all appear to have the textured yet uncluttered look of collage. Although not particularly memorable, this slip of a story offers mild entertainment for the youngest readers. (Picture book. 2-6)

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January 1, 2014
"There's a ghost in the house, / In the creepy haunted house, / On this dark, spooky night, all alone." The cute little ghost is joined by a mummy, monster, skeleton, and witch. Then a boy arrives, scaring them all away. The bouncy rhyme in this cumulative story is engaging, and the scariness level is just right. Digitally created illustrations feature clean compositions.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2013
"There's a ghost in the house, / In the creepy haunted house, / On this dark, spooky night, all alone." The cute little ghost (a benign powder blue, with wide eyes and worried-looking eyebrows) is joined, one by one, by a mummy, monster, skeleton, and witch. Then a little boy arrives, scaring them all away. The bouncy rhyme in this cumulative story is engaging, and the scariness level is just right for the very young. Digitally created illustrations, though rather pale and bland, feature clean compositions and an inventive use of type that will keep viewers focused and anticipating each new arrival. martha v. parravano

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)