Synopsis

At the edge of town lives a clever girl with a spooky problem: Her house is haunted! Luckily, she happens to be a witch and knows a little something about taking care of ghosts. She catches them, puts them in the washing machine, airs them out to dry, and gives them new lives as sofa covers, table cloths, and, of course, bed sheets to cozy up under.

Details

• Title: Ghosts in the House!
• Author/Illustrator: Kazuno Kohara
• Publisher: Turtleback Books
• ISBN: 0606237550
• Publication Date: July 6, 2010
• For Ages: 5-6
• Category: Picture Book
• Spooky-Scary or Spooky-Fun? 🎃 Fun.

Review

Ghosts in the House! is a delightfully odd story about a witch who moves into a haunted house and solves her ghost problem in a very creative way. This adorable, beautifully illustrated picture book will show kids that ghosts don’t have to be scary. With a charming narrative and lovable characters, this story is sure to be a favorite; it definitely belongs on your shelf this Halloween.

Kazuno Kohara’s orange-and-black manga-esque illustrations are fantastic, with dynamic lines that keep the eye moving and adorable character work that kids will love. I’m a huge fan of the cat, who dons a suit when the witch puts on her black hat in a panel that never fails to make me giggle:

The translucent white ghosts provide the perfect level of contrast to the two-color illustrations, and the smiling ghosts make this the happiest ghost story I’ve ever read (with apologies to The Closet Ghosts, the previous holder of the title). I must admit, it surprised me that a ghost would be satisfied to take a spin in the washing machine and then end up as a tablecloth, but you can’t argue with that grin!

Ghosts in the House! is an adorable, charming book with beautiful artwork. Don’t let the orange and black fool you, though — this is a story to be enjoyed year-round, not just at Halloween. Kids won’t be scared at all by this book; rather, they will be delighted by the smiling characters and creative story. It may even help children with their fears…

…after all, it’s hard to be scared of a ghost once you’ve seen one happily go through the spin cycle!

Rating

Ninja-Cat is my new favorite literary character. I give this book 5 out of 5 coffins.