Ghosts Hardcover – Picture Book, November 26, 2013

6yo & 8yo loved it

Delightful story, beautifully and fancifully illustrated!

3 stars at Amazon means "It's Okay". It's not really a negative review, more of a... "meh"....And after processing the colorful, imaginative and distinctive artwork and concept of this book, that's the best I can muster. Over time, we'll see if I tick it up to 4 stars, based on any future repeated "read it again" requests from the 5-year-old.As it is, it's a perplexing book. It is kind of a like a reference book, a handbook of the kinds of "real" ghosts there are in the household, as described by one of them, Toasty the chimney ghost.... as described to a classic white-sheet-with-2-black-holes-for-eyes dragging-a-ball-and-chain ghost at the beginning of the book. This is a fake ghost, according to Toasty.Families will have differing opinions about how scary any of these ghosts are, and the night time ghost is by far the scariest, although my pre-reading kid enjoyed my alternate reading of that page, skipping the part where it'll creep into your nightmares if you're not careful. Mostly the ghosts are just kind of quirky, and the real enjoyment of the book comes from poring over the lovely images and finding interesting aspects of them. "Oh, look, there's an elephant outside that window!"The book isn't profoundly conceived enough to convince anyone of an alternate world of ghosts to what we in the west are used to, and there isn't really a story, per se. At the end, I asked my girl which was her favorite ghost or page, and she went back to the beginning and pointed out the sheet-and-2-eyes ghost. "That one", she said. Only 5, and already ruined for alternate ghost worlds!

This quirky book about ghosts wants you to understand, first and foremost, that ghosts are not sheets with holes cut in them. Rather, they are quirky kawaii-ish specters, each with its own distinct personality. Like humans, they are often too preoccupied with themselves to pay you as much mind as you think. They live in our houses, sure, but they also live in *their* houses, technically, and have inner lives (despite not, you know, actually living).In a format that almost reads like a picture book full of essays, we learn about the: chimney ghost, television ghost, picture ghost, ghost of the library, gluttonous ghost, bathroom ghost, ghost of the night, ghost of the parents' bedroom, ghost of the attic...and so many more, most with their own spread.This isn't really a read-aloud kind of book--and that's its quirky strength. Instead, it invites self-sufficient child readers to pore over the pages on their own, taking their time with the details and extensive cast of characters. It's both very fun and probably a bit scary for the very young, making it perfect for older picture book readers, who will feel privileged to imagine and review ghosts we (don't) see every day.

A bit of an odd book, maybe my girls are too young for it, but they found parts to be unsettling, or even scary... it suggested things that introduced fears that hadn’t been there before about ghosts. Not quite as light hearted to our audience as others had suggested...

This was an unexpected hit in my house! I wasn't sure what to expect when I got a reviewer's copy and was worried that our daughters (age 4) would find it too scary.What I got was a gorgeous book with whimsical, understated prose that's incorporated into the art. Our girls love it, and have asked for it several times. One girl explained she likes it because "ghosts are not scary anymore".The book begins with a ghost explaining that they don't go around scaring people, ghosts just want to mind their own business. Then it details different ghosts you might find in your kitchen, basement or attic. The text is part of the art, making for some beautiful pages that even our pre-reading daughters appreciate.Overall Ghosts was a pleasant surprise and I recommend it for allaying the fears all kids share.

A different kind of book for little ones. Before you read it to your child, make sure you read it first to understand the format. It does not have a plot or anything similar. It's a different take on ghosts and gets your child's mind asking tons of questions about how come this is not like a real ghost. Have fun with the book as I spend a good hour reading the book with my grandson. The illustrations are nice and colorful and the explanations are cute.

My daughters were obsessed with this book for a few days when it first arrived. Leafing through, at first glance I was impressed with the illustration and concept, but as I read and re-read this to them over the span of a few nights it became clear that something was missing. A plot, or unifying theme that brought the illustrations to life. It felt instead like reading another "listicle", however beautifully drawn up, but with no real meaning or value. We donated it to the library; I suppose it served its purpose.