Ghosts in the House! [Paperback]

Kazuno Kohara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2010 | Age Level: 3 and up

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. Fresh and charming illustrations in dynamic orange, black and white bring this resourceful heroine and these spooky ghosts to life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS—This visually arresting, easy picture book is a surprisingly powerful masterpiece of design. Laid out entirely on electric orange pages, the two-color scheme hearkens back to a bygone era in children's book publishing. Far from being dated or dull, though, Kohara's elegant achievement retains an oh-so-contemporary flair thanks to savvy layout techniques. The story is delightfully simple: a little witch moves into a haunted house, and, fortunately for her, she knows exactly what to do with a house full of ghosts. First she traps them, then she washes them, and finally she repurposes them as useful items, such as curtains, table linens, and bedding. The story ends happily, with smiling ghosts performing new jobs all over her house. The ghosts have the opacity of used dryer sheets and trick the eye into thinking there are two textures on the page; this unique optical illusion is so convincing that readers may find themselves compelled to reach out and touch them. The dense orange that saturates each page casts the whole book in a rich, warm twilight. Toddlers and preschoolers are sure to enjoy this engaging read. With its subzero fear factor, fun narrative, and artful illustrations, it's a surefire Halloween hit.—Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* This attractive Halloween tale may elicit a few shrieks, but mostly smiles. A little girl goes to live in an old house. One problem. Turn the page and there’s an almost transparent ghost spooking across the spread. Fortunately, the little girl is a witch with a plan in mind and some ghost-hunting abilities under her tall black hat. The freshly caught ghosts go into the washing machine and come out to a new life as sheets and tablecloths, and the last two ghosties turn into cozy comforters. Kohara’s wonderfully distinctive art, all orange and black, has the look of woodcuts, while the ghosts, whether flying about or on a bed, seem to have not just shape but depth. Just as delightful are the little girl and her white cat, who are cute enough at the book’s beginning but find extra charm when she puts on her witch’s hat and the kitty dresses up in a black cat suit. A must-have for Halloween. Preschool-Grade 1. --Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Square Fish; Reprint edition (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312608861
• ISBN-13: 978-0312608866
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Perfect., October 5, 2008

By 

Jodi Renshaw (Corinna, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghosts in the House! (Hardcover)

This delightful, simple halloween story is so different from the rest of the preschool halloween titles out there. It tells the tale of a young witch who enters a haunted house but is not afraid because she is going to capture the ghosts and put them to better use. She uses her magic to capture the ghosties - and then washes them all in the washer machine and hangs out them out to dry on the line. When dried, she makes curtains, tablecloths and bed sheets out of them. And they all lived happily ever after.

Very sweet. Just one or two lines per page. AMAZING artwork. It looks like block printing with some sheer paper overlay (for the ghosts). Depicts a brave girl and an alternative way to take charge of things that may at first seem scary.

My 3 year old son loves it. With this book, he embraces the idea of a ghost, instead of being afraid of them.

Highly recommended for all.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous Artwork, Great Story, October 17, 2008

By 

Paul A. Fucito "fabfriday" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghosts in the House! (Hardcover)

I grabbed this book for my toddler son who loves Halloween, ghosts, and monsters, after seeing the striking artwork on a table of children's Halloween books. The artwork is superb, the story is simple and fun, and I guarantee this will end up a cherished children's classic as time goes by. My son loved it so much, he fell asleep with this book in his bed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Preschool Halloween Storytime, October 4, 2010

By 

J. Prather (IN USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghosts in the House! (Paperback)

So when you are trying to walk that fine line between cute and scary for Halloween, this one is your perfect solution. We have ghosts and witches... but wait! These ghosts go in the washing machine and make lovely curtains. It's a fun, whimsical concept that works well for toddlers and young preschoolers while still giving them that small thrill that comes from reading a "ghost story". The art work is amazing; the ghosts seem to fly off the page and stand out beautifully on that frightfully orange and black background. This is a truly unique book and a big recommend for story time due to its not so scary content, its spare text and beautiful artwork. The kids will laugh when they see those ghosts hanging on the clothesline to dry! A great find and a great choice for your permanent holiday collection.