Review by Booklist Review
Father Ghost recounts three scary bedtime stories for his insomniac offspring: spectral Uncle Ned becomes frightened when he is mistaken for the diaper of The Scary Baby; boastful ghoul Cousin Nell is outwitted by a mute Haunted Hamburger; and a much-younger (and wide-awake) Father Ghost endures hugging, tickling, and kissing from The Big Bad Granny. LaRochelle, the author of The Best Pet of All (2004), latches onto a clever idea here what's frightening for ghosts is funny for real children and listeners are sure to appreciate his corny punch lines (especially the baby sporting a ghost diaper and a hamburger with face-like condiments). Meisel's watercolor-and-ink illustrations feature purple-toned spirit settings that contrast with full-color human scenes, and children will be intrigued by his subtle artistic details (the phantom kids sleep in coffins, have ghost wallpaper, and own matching Frankenstein dolls). A perfect choice for Halloween bedtime story hours; pair with Mercer Mayer's classic There's a Nightmare in My Closet (1968) or Tony Ross' I Want My Light On! (2010).--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When Franny and Frankie, a pair of ghosts, ask Father Ghost to tell them scary bedtime stories, the resulting tales will leave readers in stitches. Uncle Ned, unable to scare anyone, meets a fate worse than, er, death, when he's turned into a diaper. In another story, Cousin Nell proves less frightening than a hamburger, and the final tale's Big Bad Granny knows just how to torment little ghosts-with kisses and hugs. Meisel's hapless, gap-toothed ghosts and LaRochelle's knack for pitch-perfect bedtime storytelling make these stories light on horror but heavy on laughs. Ages 6-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-It's bedtime, and Franny and Frankie Ghost are not tired. Crossing their fingers, they blithely lie and say they will go to bed after Father Ghost tells them a story. In fact, he winds up telling them three family tales. He starts with one about Uncle Ned, whose failed attempts to scare an old man, a teenager, and a baby end in personal disaster when he becomes a diaper. While his fate is appalling to the young ghosts, the illustration of Uncle Ned covering the bottom of a toddler will strike human children as hilarious. In the title story, boastful Cousin Nell encounters a motionless, scary-looking hamburger with two round green eyes, bloody-looking cheeks, and a curvy yellow mouth. "Mommmmmmy!" she screams. Each story is slightly sillier than the previous one, culminating in Father's tale about his terrifying grandmother, who wore bright red lipstick and covered him with kisses. Still those naughty ghosts will not fall asleep, until they hear "Thump! Thump! Thump! on the stairs and laughing in the hall: Is it the Big Bad Granny come to kiss them? Too scared to find out, they jump into bed and close their eyes. Meisel's charming watercolor and ink cartoon illustrations keep the tone light and augment the tongue-in-cheek humor. Smartly written with plenty of unexpected twists, this book is sure to become a year-round bedtime favorite.-Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Ghost siblings Franny and Frankie demand a story -- a scary story -- from Father Ghost before they'll go to sleep. Of course, one bedtime story is never enough, and Father Ghost is persuaded to tell three. In the first, Uncle Ned sets out to scare somebody but comes to a most ignominious end (hint: a baby's bottom is involved); in the second (a hilarious Tar Baby tale), Cousin Nell is cured of her constant boasting by an inert hamburger; and in the third and final story, two little misbehaving ghosts are scared straight by the horrible monster Big Bad Granny, who subdues with hugs, tickles, and kisses ("Don't do it! Don't do it!"). Each story is entertaining on its own, but when the third one leaches through into the frame to form part of Father Ghost's bedtime strategy (he's not quite the patsy his children take him for), the book unifies into a truly satisfying whole. The humor is freewheeling and perfectly calibrated -- diapers! lipsticky smooches! yuck! -- for its audience; it should evoke both sniggers and belly laughs. Meisel channels Roz Chwast and Victoria Chess to lend his illustrations an exaggerated tongue-in-cheek goofiness. Perfect for Halloween -- but too good not to read all year round. martha v. parravano (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Father Ghost tackles a nightly challenge for many parentsgetting their kids to go to sleep.He agrees to tell three stories, each more scary than the last. Readers will find, however, what is frightening to ghosts is just hilarious to mere mortals. Tucked in their coffins and aglow in bright white, young Franny and Frankie stare wide-eyed at their dad as he begins the first story, "The Scary Baby." Uncle Ned is eager to terrify somebody. The easiest to scare should be a baby. But he tangles with the wrong infant and his mama...and ends up on the baby's bottom as a diaper! The second story features the Haunted Hamburger. By simply sitting on a tree stump and looking at boastful cousin Nell with "two round eyes as green as pickles,... a wide, squiggly mouth as yellow as mustard [and] wet bloody cheeks as red as ketchup," it turns her into a humbler specter. The final story tells the tale of "The Big Bad Granny," who truly horrifies with an onslaught of tickles, hugs and kisses. As fresh as LaRochelle's text is, Meisel's playfully rendered illustrations capture every ridiculous, giggle-inducing moment and amps it right up.Share with the most sleep-resistant and squirmy kids for a surefire read-aloud romp. (Picture book. 6-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
