Ghosts in the House!
by Kazuno Kohara
Roaring Brook Press, New York, 2008. 28 pages.
This simple little picture book reminds me of years ago when my landlady effectively dealt with my son’s fear of ghosts by telling him that if one bothers you, to bite it on its bottom. We decided it would taste like marshmallow.
This book presents a similarly nontraditional way of dealing with ghosts.
A little girl moves into a house that is full of ghosts, but fortunately she’s a witch and knows how to deal with them. She catches them all, puts them in the washing machine, hangs them up to dry, and then puts them to good use all over the house.
This whole story is played out with simple language and happy, smiling faces.
There is some initial surprise when the first ghost shows up, but soon the girl says, “How lovely! I hope there are some more!”
This is a cheerful and cozy story, showing that things people are afraid of aren’t always so scary at all.
The illustrations are creative. It’s all in simple black and orange, with the ghosts showing up in a somewhat transparent white.
There are very few words on a page, and this would make an excellent story for very young listeners, for a friendly, reassuring, and cozy story about ghosts.
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