Ghastly Ghosts

June 15, 2019
When Dave inherits a remote cottage, the house speaks to him. Literally. The hinges on the door "squeeeeeak," the bathroom pipes "moooan," and the cellar "waaillls." Dave takes it all in stride, but he wishes for a human voice--but that night, he hears, "Ghastly ghosts in the old coal shed!" Dave tries to shake his fear, but the voice repeats the phrase in an ever louder voice as expressive illustrations capture Dave's increasing alarm. When the fireplace coal burns down, Dave is cold enough to steel himself for a trip to the monstrous coal shed. Braving the "ghastly ghosts," Dave gains their respect by requesting their help gathering coal and inviting them to share his fire--if they can "find something ELSE to say!" Practiced picture-book readers will appreciate the subtext in the cheery, cartoon illustrations, such as the cat companion that mimics Dave's actions and reactions and the potential friends hiding in the shadows. This is a great rhyming read-aloud, especially if the reader's voice embraces the drama. Before the story resolves on a happy note (Dave is playing his fiddle while surrounded by new friends, both spectral and otherwise), the tension escalates until the ghastly ghosts are finally confronted. Dave presents as a spry, gray-bearded white man. A delicious scare for audiences ready for chills. (Picture book. 5-8)

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September 9, 2019

Gr 1-3-Dave, a gentle man with a white beard, moves into his deceased uncle's cabin and finds it a lonely place. He soon hears moans, groans, and wails, noises that he attributes to mice or drafty windows. However, voices shrieking "Ghastly ghosts in the old coal shed!" are harder to explain away. Lamug's artwork does a marvelous job of showing scenes that are off-kilter on one page and then normal the next. For instance, the tilted windows and open door of the dilapidated old coal shed give it a menacing visage the closer Dave gets to revealing its secrets, but the shed looks normal once the ghosts inside are revealed to be just as lonely as the man himself. The text seems to be a hair smaller than in many picture books for this age group, and it is tucked away in the beams of the cabin, the sloped ceiling of the attic, and in the pale yellow glow of the moon. The small size and location of the text practically dares readers to lean in closer to the artwork, making it all the more jarring when a large, bold, stylized typeface is suddenly used to convey the ghosts' shrieks. Text placing is spot-on throughout, up until the last page where the text subtly leads readers' eyes to the coal shed, no longer looking carnivorous. The final scene is heartwarming with Dave and the ghosts enjoying a fun time by the fire, lonely souls who have found one another. VERDICT Bateman plays with the frightening horror tropes of isolation and creepy old cabins but gives them a child-friendly spin in the end. Recommended for anyone who wants an eerie tale with a cheery ending.-Chance Lee Joyner, Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, NH

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