The Ghost-Eye Tree (Owlet Book) [Paperback]

Bill Martin (Author), John Archambault (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Owlet Book

One dark and windy autumn night when the sun has long gone down, a young boy and his older sister are sent to the end of town to get a bucket of milk. As they walk down the lonely road, bathed in eerie moonlight, all the boy can think about is the ghost-eye tree.

Oooo...
I dreaded to go...
I dreaded the tree....
Why does Mama always choose me
When the night is so dark
And the mind runs free?

What will happen when they come to the tree? Can they run past it or will it reach out and grab them?

Any child who has been frightened of the dark will enjoy this scary book, which is meant to be read aloud. Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault developed the story as a reader's theater piece, which they have performed in schools across the country. Now, with Ted Rand's stunning illustrations, the ghost-eye tree comes to life. Watch out!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A top-notch hair-raiser that will do for any old night of the year, but will really spike a Halloween story hour." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A delightfully alarming story poem about a dark and windy night when a boy and his sister are sent on an errand and must pass a certain tree that moans and reaches out its arms, freezing their hearts with fear. Strong, exciting illustrations make it all real. The poem would be especially good read aloud." --The New Yorker

"Deep, dark pictures of a windy, cloudy, spooky night provide the appropriate atmosphere for this tantalizingly told story-poem about a brother and sister who are sent out at night to fetch a pail of milk." --Booklist

About the Author

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916-2004) was an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet. His more than 300 books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, are a testament to his ability to speak directly to children. Martin held a doctoral degree in early childhood education. Born in Kansas, he worked as an elementary-school principal in Chicago before moving to New York City, where he worked in publishing developing innovative reading programs for schools. After several years, he devoted himself full-time to writing his children’s books. He lived in New York until 1993, when he moved to Texas. He lived in the east Texas woods, near the town of Commerce, until he passed away in 2004.

 

John Archambault is a poet, journalist, and storyteller who has collaborated with Bill Martin Jr. and Ted Rand on several books, including Barn Dance! and Knots on a Counting Rope.

 

Ted Rand (1915-2005) was a prolific artist whose illustrations appeared in several magazines and newspapers, as well as in numerous books for children. He collaborated with both Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault on many books, including Here Are My Hands.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (October 15, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805009477
• ISBN-13: 978-0805009477
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb writing and illustration... perfect spooky mood, December 12, 2001

By 

Jon Steelman (Alpharetta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ghost-Eye Tree (Hardcover)

This book is well written and superbly illustrated, as perfect a match of word tone and illustration as you can find. My 3 year old daughter quite enjoys the spooky mood, the scary ghost-eye tree, and the haunting refrain, "Oooo... I dreaded to go... I dreaded the tree... Why does Mama always choose me when the night is so dark and the mind runs free?" This is a year-round book, not just for the Halloween season.

In response to the reviewer who says the language is harsh, I can agree with that although let me add that it is rather realistic (although not to be encouraged) given the ages of the sister and brother in the book. My remedy is that when the sister says, "stupid," I instead read aloud the word "silly" in its place.

We also greatly enjoy the book Barn Dance by the same group of authors/illustrators. Barn Dance is different in that it has an actual supernatural element and is less a spooky book and more a book of wonder/imagination with a touch of friendly spookiness.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dramatic Illustrations and a Fun book to read aloud., November 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Merritt, British Columbia, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ghost-Eye Tree (Hardcover)

The authors Bill Martin and John Archambault present a haunting and well-paced story of a young boy's relationship with a "ghost"tree.

Ted Rand's pictures match the story very well. You can feel the atmosphere and tension in his illustrations. Feel the icy wind blowing through the ghost tree. Read this book to get into the mood for Halloween. A great picture book with interesting text.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First scary book as a kid, October 1, 2011

By 

Idaho Spud (Sandpoint, ID) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ghost-Eye Tree (Owlet Book) (Paperback)

I remember hearing this story for the first time at the Witworth Writing Rally my Mom took me to yearly when I was a child. I liked The Ghost-Eye Tree a lot,because it scared me so much (my family lived out in the woods, and I was often sent outside to the garage at night to get pellets for our stove, so I understood the character's fear well) and when given my choice of which book to buy when the Writing Rally was coming to an end for the day, I chose this one without hesitation.
As I grew up, I proceeded to read this book until it simply fell apart and was lost.
In my adulthood, I couldn't stop recalling this book fondly every year at Halloween and finally bought myself another copy. The book doesn't scare me anymore, but it's still a well written little story, with great illustrations, and brings back good memories (even those scary garage trips are fondly remembered now lol). A great story to read out loud to kids at Halloween!