In the Haunted House [Paperback]

Eve Bunting (Author), Susan Meddaugh (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

All we see are two pairs of sneakers--one large, one small--as a little girl and her father tour a dark, mysterious house.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Four sneakered feet, two large and two small, tiptoe through a house chock-full of otherworldly creatures--a vampire, ghosts and a mummy, among others--in Bunting's second Halloween excursion. Like her Scary, Scary Halloween (which was illustrated by Jan Brett), this book features comically creepy rhymes ("Who's in the closet, dark as a tomb / Rattling his bones in the gloom-gloomy-gloom?"), a small, built-in mystery (how can such a haunted house be real ?) and a cheery surprise at the end (the owner of the big feet has been more frightened by the weird goings-on than has his little partner). Meddaugh's illustrations strike a nice balance between scary and silly, and include lots of rewards for observant readers: parents and art-wise children may note a homage to Picasso on one page. All in all, this winning addition to the Halloween bookshelf is sure to prompt as many giggles and shivers as the holiday itself. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Invitingly scary, this Halloween romp follows the sneaker-clad footsteps of two children as they make their way through a haunted house. Showing only their feet entering or leaving the rooms heightens the atmosphere of suspense. The horrors of each room are briefly but chillingly described, while the scratchy pencil and watercolor illustrations invite close scrutiny. Carefully placed clues belie the house's sinister atmosphere, but not all of the creatures can be explained away, giving the story a pleasing ambiguity. The younger child appears less frightened than the older, who pleads: "I know you're not frightened, but still . . . we could go. No one would notice. 'No,' you say? 'No'?" Children will enjoy the upbeat ending, as little sister drags her reluctant brother back for another house tour. A spooky bit of fun for Halloween storytimes. --Ruth Smith, Chicago Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (September 19, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395699428
• ISBN-13: 978-0395699423
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Bunting, Eve
  • #100 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > Halloween

More About the Author

Eve Bunting has written more than 200 books for children, many of which can be found in libraries around the world. Her other Clarion titles for very young readers include My Big Boy Bed, which was also illustrated by Maggie Smith, and Little Bear's Little Boat, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it, love it!, May 3, 2006

By 

Donna Maria (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Haunted House (Paperback)

My son and I have read this book over and over and over again. Whether it's Halloween time or not this book will be a sure favorite of kids' who like the dark side. Don't take this to mean that the book is dark or scary. What I mean is that if your kids have a taste for spookies then this book will not fail to please. Great pictures with subtle hidden pictures that show that the spookies and such aren't real in this haunted house. The text is fun to read outloud to the wee ones.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silly Fun!, July 18, 2007

By 

L. Hudson "looploo" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In The Haunted House (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

My 3 1/2 & 21 month old sons love this book and insist I read it to them evry night before bedtime. The artwork is attention grabbing and the prose has a nice cadence. Of course I throw in my own personal sound effects for the witches, ghosts, werewolf & Frankenstein. This just gets them giggling like crazy. This book is not too scary for the littlest kids, because if you look closely, there's almost always a 'hidden' item which helps explains the 'spooky' stuff. You can point this out as you go along. The surprise ending is quite nice too. I highly reccommend this book for kids 18 months to 5 years.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, June 29, 2006

By 

Krista -F "Krista-F" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Haunted House (Paperback)

I started reading this book to my kids when they were both around the age of four. Now they are about six and eight and they still love it. Funny book.