Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* If you think all ghosts wear sheets and say boo! this book is here to set you straight. How? By introducing the many different ghosts in your neighborhood. There's a ghost in the chimney ( This is definitely a ghost to AVOID! If you don't, he'll billow into your living room like a tornado of black smoke ). There's a television ghost ( Turn off the TV. Just one more minute and it will be too late. The TV ghost will have arrived! ). There are ghosts who love a steamy window, and ghosts who adore the smell of a dewy garden in the early morning. There are ghosts who don't want you to explore your parents' bedroom, and ghosts who spill milk in the kitchen. In short, there's a ghost for pretty much everything, but Boutavant's bright, colorful, and playful illustrations of the friendly animal-shaped ghosts in their favorite haunts keep these spooks from ever being scary. In fact, it seems like there's a playful apparition behind every creak and shifting window shade nothing to be scared of after all. Goldie's charmingly off-kilter descriptions of everyday ghosts paired together with the cheery childlike illustrations make for a delightful oddball treat.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ghosts do not wear sheets, rattle chains, or say "boo"-not according to this idiosyncratic compendium of the specters that haunt a house. The ghost of the attic "likes to dress up-as a marquis, a pirate, even an Arabian prince," while the ghost of the garage feasts on "toast with dirty lubricating oil" and "gasoline tea with rubber cake." Others display rich inner lives, like the ghost of the library, who "would rather live in his daydreams." Originally published in France in 2001, Goldie's tale is verbose for a picture book, and although witty turns of phrase punctuate the text blocks (the hydrophobic bathroom ghost "takes comfort in his own salty smell"), this catalogue-like story is, like its subjects, insubstantial. Boutavant's witty details enrich each spread: a black cat steals two newspaper-wrapped fish from the ghost of the kitchen's domain; the vacant-eyed apparitions peering over the television ghost's shoulder resemble Laurel and Hardy. The phantoms' transparency-some are mere outlines-contrasts neatly with the saturated, textured colors deployed elsewhere, lending credence to the assertion that these ghosts, not the Casper wannabes, are authentic. Ages 4-8. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-In this quirky import, Goldie and Boutavant put to rest the old stereotype of sheet-wearing, ball-dragging, "Boo"-shrieking ghosts and present an array of imaginative household haunters, each with its own unique traits and looks. For example, a gluttonous kitchen ghost gobbles up food from the fridge; the ghost of the attic "likes to spend his time remembering the good old days." Most of the specters are more peculiar than scary, though some are spookier than others: the ghost of the night hides under the bed, then comes out when it's dark to tickle feet, while the television ghost watches TV but grabs the unwary watcher during scary moments. Cleverly laid out spreads feature text in varied fonts that has been integrated into the illustrations and dazzle with minutiae of unexpected details and strange creatures. However, the very elements that create visual interest can be overwhelming and drag down this already lengthy story. A treat for the more sophisticated readers who enjoy unique art and unusual stories but not for everyone.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY (c) Copyright 2014. 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
A dozen spreads introduce readers to the library ghost ("If you see the corner of a page turned down, you'll know he's been there!"), the kitchen ghost ("PLOP! A package falls to the floor"), and other disembodied souls. The mood isn't ghoulish but winking, as are the intricate illustrations, which, like the chatty, playfully laid-out text, can be cumulatively wearying. (c) Copyright 2014. 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
The sheets, the clanking chains, the loud "BOO!"sso old school: Today's ghosts haunt today's homes. There's the unseen television ghost, who "sits down right next to you" on the sofa and suddenly grabs you if something scary comes on, and the ghost in the telephone ("Dring! A ring, and then nothing") and the miserable, water-hating bathroom ghost. These and others form this gallery of modern spooks who will give children with hyperactive imaginations a whole new set of anxieties. Still, except for the malicious ghost of the night, most of Goldie's spooks are actually retiring sorts or at worst, mildly mischievous; some, such as the ghosts of the library and the garden, are even shy. Usually visible, if translucent or just outlines in Boutavant's modernistic domestic scenes, the specters generally resemble small, unfrightening teddy bears or cats. They are presented, in a narrative that is often colored, angled and shaped to fit onto walls and furniture in the illustrations, by a cheery ectoplasmic host who closes with an invitation to a household ghost party. When? Why, tonight! Where? Guess. Perhaps best saved for the daytime, though the light tone will keep the chills on the mild side. (Picture book. 6-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
