Oh No, Not Ghosts!

What creepy, crawly, ghoulish creatures are lurking in the bedroom shadows?

Publishers Weekly

In Michelson's (Happy Feet) prime example of the powers of suggestion, a boy consoles his timid sister before bed: "It's only wind./ Ignore that sound./ You're safe./ There are no ghosts around." She protests ("Oh no, not ghosts!"), so he gamely puts on a werewolf mask to chase the ghouls away. "Oh no, not werewolves!" she squeaks, as her imagination summons slavering wolves, a cackling shadow-witch and a skeleton in the closet. McCauley (Mom and Dad Are Palindromes) tweaks the intensity with sharp-edged, high-contrast linocuts. In his endpapers, a leafy blue-on-blue wallpaper pattern resolves into bats and faces, the perfect way to open and close this feverish, funny tale. Readers wishing to counter the scaredy-cat-girl clich should try Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Annie Was Warned, or McGhee and Bliss's A Very Brave Witch (reviewed below). Ages 3-7. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

RICHARD MICHELSON is a prizewinning poet and author of several other picture books, including Ten Times Better, illustrated by Leonard Baskin. He is the owner of R. Michelson Galleries and lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

ADAM McCAULEY has illustrated many other books for children, including the Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka and Martin MacGregor's Snowman by Lisa Broadie Cook. He lives in San Francisco, California.