Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette (review)

In this cumulative rhyming story, a ghost host goes on to meet four unusual friends: a groaning mummy, a growling monster, a click-clacking skeleton, and a shrieking witch. Finally, the five creepy characters encounter the scariest creature of all: a red-headed, wide-eyed human boy in pajamas who unwittingly frightens them all away. Paquette's rhyme scheme is slightly unusual, with shifts between internal line rhymes and end rhymes, but it's but solid and lilting; once mastered, the cadence is both catchy and appealing, and the sound effects make it a natural winner for readalouds. Record creates digital scenes wherein deep, dark tones of black, gray, and brown are offset by playful splashes of periwinkle and mustard that perfectly match the a-little-but-not-too-scary tone of the tale. There is a lot of contrast and texture in the digital art, with shadow effects around the crisp figures suggesting collage-type layering, the monster's golden stripes subtly dappled with aqua, and the mummy's wraps possessing a burlap-like grain. While the ending is a bit anticlimactic, this is a solid offering for preschoolers who prefer friendly over frightening at their October storytimes.