Boo! Watch out for this rollicking, cumulative counting book for a Halloween treat that’s more playful than scary.There’s a ghost in the house, In the creepy haunted house, On this dark spooky night all alone.
When a little ghost goes slip-sliding down the hallway, he suddenly hears...a groan! Turns out it’s only a friendly mummy, who shuffles along with the ghost, until they encounter...a monster! As the cautious explorers continue, they find a surprise at every turn — and add another adorably ghoulish friend to the count. But you’ll never guess who is the scariest creature in the house!
Ammi-Joan Paquette has never met a ghost, mummy, monster, skeleton, or witch — as far as she knows. This book, she says, was inspired by a game she used to play with her sister: “Most of the details have been lost to time, but I still remember the shivery thrill I got when we played it. So, I drew on that same energy to write a spooky picture book, which eventually became A Ghost in the House.” In addition to writing, Joan is also a literary agent representing authors of children’s books. She lives outside Boston with her family.
Adam Record started doodling on a bench in church. He only started to get serious about drawing after someone bought one of his drawings. He gets inspired by old children’s books and vintage posters. This is his first picture book. Adam Record lives in Utah with his wife and two children.
This slip of a story offers ... entertainment for the youngest readers.
—Kirkus Reviews
Writing in peppy, evocative verse... Record’s digital cartoons playfully suggest that fear is in the eye of the beholder...
—Publishers Weekly
The simple rhyme has a bouncy rhythm that would make this book an enjoyable read-aloud for a not-so-scary storytime. This slightly spooky tale does not mention Halloween, so it can be enjoyed year-round.
—School Library Journal
The bouncy rhyme in this cumulative story is engaging, and the scariness level is just right for the very young.
—The Horn Book
In “Ghost in the House,” Paquette succeeds at catching her readers off guard at the start. ... Adam Record gives his digital illustrations in this, his first picture book, a nicely scuffed-up appearance, as if rubbed with gritty charcoal, adding the illusion of texture and depth to otherwise familiar shapes. ... Though “Ghost in the House,” like all the best counting books, is fundamentally simple in its architecture, Paquette and company mix the typical Halloween setting with a narrative that confounds expectations just enough to tickle readers’ funny bones.
—The New York Times Online
Hair-raising and hilarious, Ghost in the House is a practically foolproof way to get kids counting. Paquette’s simple yet effective rhymed verses give the little story momentumm while Adam Record’s digital illustrations have a wonderful sense of texture. ... A true treat regardless of the season, Ghost in the House is a book readers will have fun with throughout the year.
—BookPage Children's Corner
