How to Haunt a House

August 1, 2021
Three ghosts-in-training meet a family that proves difficult to scare. Groana, Moana, and Shrieky have successfully used their ghostly tricks to haunt families in two different houses. But when their teacher, Madam Grey, assigns them a family of monsters to haunt, they must get creative with their tactics. Readers will giggle to see what ultimately frightens these Frankenstein-type monsters: bunnies, puppies, glitter, and cupcakes. Crimi's rhyming story nicely leverages unpredictability to keep preschoolers engaged. How silly that the things they love should terrify a monster! Miller's illustrations are age appropriate and appealing--nothing's too spooky here--with a comic-book feel. The three ghosties are nonthreatening, with rosy cheeks and expressive eyebrows. The humans depicted are racially diverse, including one interracial family. There are also some fun details, like the monster family's table full of rotten fish and moldy cheese. Miller cleverly uses the color palette so that the hues of the human families' homes, with touches of pink and light blue, are the same as those of the cheerful items used to scare the monster family. Sure to be enjoyed by the preschool crowd--a great Halloween read-aloud for a classroom or library. Not-too-spooky Halloween fun. (Picture book. 4-6)

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September 1, 2021

K-Gr 2-Halloween is fast approaching, and three young ghosts have one more test to pass before they will be declared ready for the day. Madam Gray assigns three houses for the ghosts to haunt, each one more challenging than the last. Using a series of skills perfected in class, Groana, Moana (not to be confused with the Disney character), and Shrieky work together to achieve their goal. When their practiced tactics fail to work on the final house, however, the three classmates must examine the problem from another angle to succeed. This rhyming Halloween story is at once enjoyable and educational, showcasing the power of teamwork and tenacity against the backdrop of a playful haunting. Rhyming couplets give the narrative a singsong beat. Though the lines are not consistent in meter, the story is easy to follow; the varied pacing breaks up the narrative into distinct segments while keeping readers engaged. Digitally rendered illustrations feature iconic Halloween decor, from purple, black, and orange hues to a full moon casting a glow over crooked, leafless tree branches. All of the characters have a cartoonlike quality, increasing the accessibility of the story while limiting any truly frightening moments. Detailed images will encourage readers to closely examine the illustrations. VERDICT Add this to Halloween collections, and use in group and individual settings.-Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 Three ghosts, Groana, Moana, and Shrieky, are being trained for Halloween haunting duty, and they must pass three tests to achieve their Halloween spook goal. They are asked to haunt three houses of increasingly difficulty, the success of which will be gauged by whether the houses' residents become frightened. House number one is a piece of cake for the rookie ghosts, who spook the pet parakeet and cause its family to faint just by slamming the toilet seat. They make such a big ruckus in the second house that its three big dogs turn tail. The third house is the most difficult, as the ghouls that live there aren't easily frightened. It takes some unconventional thinking and a horrifyingly sweet approach (buttercups, fluffy chicks, dollies, kittens!) to drive the monsters from their home. Rhyming text will bounce readers along, and they'll thoroughly enjoy the vibrant digital illustrations, imaginative scenarios, and silly high jinx. Great for reading aloud to groups or one-on-one, this will be a new spooky favorite for Halloween.

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