Haunted House (Hardcover)

~ Jan Pienkowski (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originally published more than 20 years ago, Jan Pienkowski's terrifically twisted Haunted House returns in a mini-edition. Creepy creatures and hidden surprises await readers bold enough to accept the invitation on the great green door of a cover: "Let yourself in." A snaggle-toothed monster with enormous tonsils presides over the kitchen; a King Kong-size gorilla dominates the living room.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Revisit — if you dare! — one of the best-loved pop-up books of all time, now more gleefully ghoulish then ever with the addition of several spooky surprises.

Come in, Doctor. Yes, it is a quaint old place-chilly, though. . . .

The owner of the Haunted House is unwell, and it's not surprising. There's a ghoul in the cupboard, an octopus in the sink, a crocodile in the bath, and in every room, a sinister black cat watching it all with roving eyes. Every page of this thrilling pop-up book is packed with spine-tingling surprises, culminating in a spectacular final spread complete with a creepy creaking saw.

Since 1979, hundreds of thousands of readers have taken this scared-silly tour of one of the best-selling pop-up books of all time. This is one Haunted House that remains as innovative and exciting today as it was twenty-six years ago-but now offers even more tantalizing twists:

— Stunning new holographic foil cover!
— Scary new surprises, announced on front cover with a removable sticker! Brand-new elements have been added to four spreads, including a ghost in the closet, a cockroach in the oven, and vampire teeth in the nightstand!
— Great new price! This perfect Halloween and year-round treat is available for only $14.99.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 12 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Pop edition (August 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763628182
• ISBN-13: 978-0763628185
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,765 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Haunted House takes the reader on an imaginative tour!, October 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Haunted House (Hardcover)

The Haunted House is a vivid and cleverly created pop-up book which dares its reader to embark on an imaginative rampage through a haunted mansion. Pienkowski has created an interactive world in which a woman's portrait eyes you with a playful menace, a spaghetti monster leaps from the refrigerator, and you come face to face with a hilarious blue alien. There are literally skeletons in the closet of this book! Children will love this book for its fantastic images; adults will appreciate the unique detail and craftsmanship. This is, by far, the most fascinating pop-up on the market!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE EPITOME OF POP-UPS, August 14, 2005

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: Haunted House Mini-Edition (Hardcover)

Multi-talented doesn't begin to describe Jan Pienkowski. Born in Poland in 1936 he made his first book when he was only 8-years-old. It was a gift for his father. Due to the war his family left Poland and eventually settled in England where he would attend Kings College. It seems that his interest in stage design developed while he was there.

Since his college days he has worked in publicity, advertising, and done stage designs for The Royal Ballet and Disneyland, Paris. Here, in America, we probably know him best for his amazing paper art. His pop-up books don't just spring forward, but swirl as in an octopus busily doing dishes or soar as in three geese flying across a mantel. Youngsters will be delighted to find this and so very much more in Haunted House.

This is a place where ghosts hide under the stairwell and a portrait of La Gio Conda watches with the touch of a tab. Refrigerator doors swing open to reveal a very Muenster-like kitchen, while King Kong holds forth in the living room.

Each double page is an amazing array of spooky sights just waiting for young fingers to release them. Haunted House is the epitome of pop-ups, a prototype for all budding paper artists.

- Gail Cooke

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent--definitely worth the price!, June 1, 2003

By	Dr. Christopher Coleman (HONG KONG) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Haunted House Mini-Edition (Hardcover)

Jan Pienkowski's Haunted House is a terrific book, with lots of great colorful detailed illustrations and a variety of popups, pullouts, dial turns, etc. Except for the last, each of the five double pages has at least three "activities", and some have more. Many of the pictures are funny, with things like a black cat in the toilet--the bathroom scene is one of my two favorites, in fact, with a fantastically silly buglike alien with peppermint lips bursting through the wall and an alligator in the tub. Although nothing is particularly frightening for most, parents will want to exercise a bit of judgement if their children are very sensitive--there's no blood, but there is a skeleton in the closet and a ghost hovering over a bed. If my child were prone to fears I would definitely skip this one. But most kids will love it, and, like Sesame Street, adults will find a few details put in only for them--the bookshelf, for example, has books labelled "Poe", "Bosch" and "Von Dani" with the remaining letters of that last name off the page--recognise it? (Hint: There's a spaceship on the same page!)

We were given this book for my son probably 16 years ago. My daughter also enjoyed it as a child and in fact was just studying the pop-up techniques for her high school design technology class. Our original copy has held up well after all the years and all the loving, which speaks volumes for its construction--kudos to "paper engineer Tor Lokvig"! Pages are thick card stock and only a few of the popup effects have suffered any of the ravages of time in our copy; but I still would recommend getting a new copy rather than buying one used, especially sight unseen. And at the price, even a new one is definitely a bargain!