Publishers Weekly
A cherubic ghost practices being scary in this nearly wordless book with a glow-in-the-dark cover. Reading up on "scary things" like vampires and mummies, the ghost tries to approximate the creatures (using fans for bat wings and toilet paper for bandages), but no one is scared, not even Phantom, his one-eyed dog. Fenton's mostly black oil paintings are eerily highlighted with electric shades of blue, yellow, and green. While the action can be hard to follow, readers will catch the message, delivered in a twist ending, that being one's best--or scariest--means being oneself. Ages 3–6. (Aug.)
Children's Literature
- Carrie Hane Hung
What would be a scary costume for a ghost? Follow the young ghost as it tries on different disguises and outfits to frighten his family. The little ghost paints himself green like Frankenstein and he disguises himself as Dracula. Yet, his family is unfazed. After several attempts, the small ghost literally stumbles onto an idea that scares everyone in his family. The story may seem simple and there are very few words. The illustrations carry most of the story line. Children will need to look carefully at the pictures to understand the plot. There is little foreshadowing at the beginning of the story to understand why the young ghost is trying to scary his family. His ultimate goal appears to be entering the Scariest Spook competition. The hint of the contest is very subtle and appears in the middle of the story in a newspaper headline. However, the word "competition" in the headline is barely detectable. When the ghost finds his scary costume idea, the reader will need to follow his discovery in the fine details; the sequence of events in the layout was not as clearly delineated as the preparation for the scary costume on the following page. Some children may benefit with a conversation about the story and illustrations in order to understand the plot. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung
School Library Journal
Gr 1—A little ghost tries on different disguises, hoping to scare his family. He turns to a book of "Scary Things" for inspiration, but his Frankenstein, Dracula, and Mummy impersonations all fail to elicit screams. Ironically, when he stumbles into a white sheet left on a clothesline, he finally gets his desired response. Aside from the ghost's determined shouts of "BOOO!," few words appear. The story cinematically comes to life through Fenton's detailed oil paintings. The not-so-scary goblins have enormous round heads with pinprick eyes and small wispy bodies that seem to float against the velvety black backgrounds. The striking design also features a glow-in-the-dark cover. Spooky fun.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
