The Skeleton in the Closet [Hardcover]

Alice Schertle (Author), Curtis Jobling (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up

Bam! Bam! Bam!
A skeleton's knocking
at the door.
Creak . . . creak . . . creak . . .

Now he's going up the steps -- but this skeleton isn't looking for what you'd expect. There are both snickers and shivers awaiting readers in this wickedly funny rhyming story that is sure to tickle funny bones.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-A red-haired boy drawn in the style of a comic-book character tells readers about a child-sized skeleton with glowing green eyes that comes in the night to borrow his clothes. Schertle's rhythms build suspense but the growing dread coupled with the first view of the intruder may be a bit much for very young horror fans. The author excels at imagery ("-snoring like a motorcycle") and at making fun of the pop-eyed skeleton's search as he helps himself to spaceman underpants and a striped scarf, among many other items. Eventually, this creature looks more like a gawky toddler than a frightening skeleton, but the author grabs readers from behind again, saying, "-you might not hear him when he climbs your stairs. He'll be quiet, quiet, quiet, in my bedroom slipper bears." Delightfully scary, but not for the preschool set.
Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. "Got two shiny shin bones and little bone toes / but I'm wearin' no skin, so EVERYTHING shows / Comin' up to find some skeleton clothes!" This hilarious picture book takes its title literally: a skeleton, tired of being bare-boned, ransacks a little boy's closet for a wardrobe. The boy narrates the tale in inventive, rap-inspired verse so catchy that even normally staid readers-aloud will find themselves bobbing their heads and funkifying their voices. There are moments of delicious suspense, but the bulbous-eyed, big-skulled skeleton is too funny looking to be frightening, and children soon recognize that he's more interested in fashion than flesh. Parents and kids alike will chuckle as the skeleton chooses a gleefully mismatched outfit topped off with heart-patterned boxer shorts. Jobling's stylized artwork hints at his background as the designer of Nick Jr.'s Bob the Builder--but maybe he'll now be known as the artist who made a skeleton expressive. Two "thumb-bones-up" for a storytime choice that won't keep preschoolers up at night. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688177387
• ISBN-13: 978-0688177386
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,715,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfectly scary preschool read-aloud, December 14, 2003

By 

Christine S. (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Skeleton in the Closet (Hardcover)

As a children's librarian and the mother of two preschoolers, I disagree with the School Library Journal review (above) which characterized this book as too scary for preschoolers. Both at work and at home, the preschoolers with whom I've shared this have found it delightly scary ... It generated joyous guffaws and not terrified shivers. I recommend to my fellow children's librarians that they include this book in their preschool story time rotations. You - and the kids - will be happy you did!

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it, January 4, 2012

By 

In VA "In VA" (virgnina) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Skeleton in the Closet (Hardcover)

Got this at the library. Loved it and bought it. We still read it also the time

Any kid would like it. It's not scary. It's fun.

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book!, November 10, 2011

By 

Maglet (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Skeleton in the Closet (Hardcover)

My kids - ages 2 and 5 - both loved this book. For months after reading it, every time they would walk up stairs they would repeat the poem. Well written and fun (and funny). We borrowed it from the library and renewed it so many times that I eventually had to break down and just buy the kids their own copy. It's a favorite year round, but especially at Halloween!