The Ghost-Eye Tree

by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault, Ted Rand (Illustrator)

One dark and windy autumn night when the sun has long gone down, a young boy and his older sister are sent to the end of town to get a bucket of milk. As they walk down the lonely road, bathed in eerie moonlight, all the boy can think about is the ghost-eye tree.

Oooo...
I dreaded to go...
I dreaded the tree....
Why does Mama always choose me
When the night is so dark
And the mind runs free?

What will happen when they come to the tree? Can they run past it or will it reach out and grab them?

Any child who has been frightened of the dark will enjoy this scary book, which is meant to be read aloud. Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault developed the story as a reader's theater piece, which they have performed in schools across the country. Now, with Ted Rand's stunning illustrations, the ghost-eye tree comes to life. Watch out!

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens, Horror, Poetry, Holiday, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916-2004) was an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet. His more than 300 books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See ; Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear ; Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See ; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom , are a testament to his ability to speak directly to children. Martin held a doctoral degree in early childhood education. Born in Kansas, he worked as an elementary-school principal in Chicago before moving to New York City, where he worked in publishing, developing innovative reading programs for schools. After several years, he devoted himself full-time to writing his children's books. He lived in New York until 1993, when he moved to Texas. He lived in the east Texas woods, near the town of Commerce, until he passed away in 2004.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/billma...

Reviews

[Andréa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book terrified me as a child. I still hate seeing the cover because the tree creeped me out so much.

[Todd Strader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooo...
how dark it was...
how dread it was...
walking the road.
to the end of the town...
for the halfway tree...
the Ghost-Eye tree...
was feared by all...

A great read with wonderful illustrations... perfect for Halloween...

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young boy and his sister are sent to the other side of town to fetch milk. Halfway there, however, is the dreaded ghost-eye tree. Both kids try to act tough and not show that they’re scared, that is until the ghost-eye tree reaches out for them.

The illustrations are done in dark watercolors and give the book an ethereal, timeless feeling. The text is exceptionally well written, full of rhyme, repetition and rhythm.

[Nam · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father used to read this to me. I love this book dearly.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wobnderful Halloween choice! By KS author Bill Martin.

[Cathy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my kids loved this book! A classic in building suspense and mood.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the author who brought us Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? comes a spooky tale of a mother who has her children walk through the creepy woods to fetch a pail of milk from a milkman named Mr. Cowlander (Wow! What a creative name!). The book was published in 1985 but we can only guess what the hell year it was set in. The author seems to have a bizarre fascination with an actor named Mike Barber, whoever that is.

"I pulled my hat down over one eye...to look tough like Mike Barber in the movies."
"tough...like Mike Barber..."

Hide! It's dark out and Mamma wants milk from the other end of the damn town! You do not want to have to go past The Ghost-Eye Tree!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy and his sister are dispatched to the other side of town one blustery autumn night to fetch some milk in this spooky picture book from co-authors Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, and illustrator Ted Rand. Hurrying through the dark night, the pair squabble about the boy's hat, which his sister insists makes him look stupid, but they are in complete accord when it comes to the Ghost-Eye tree standing at the midway point of their walk. Making their way past it going out, they find themselves terrified by a wailing sound they hear, when passing it on the way back, and scramble madly for safety. Once home, the boy decides he will make himself scarce, when his mother again wants milk at night...

Given the subject matter, and the striking cover image, I expected to enjoy The Ghost-Eye Tree, which I initially sought out as a Halloween read, despite the fact that it is not explicitly a Halloween story. I was not disappointed, finding the story satisfactorily spooky, as well as unexpectedly heartwarming. I appreciated the fact that while the sister begins by ridiculing her brother (not unrealistically, in a tale about siblings), she also is very determined to help him, when push comes to shove and he loses his hat. The accompanying artwork from Ted Rand was by turns deliciously creepy and beautifully expressive, and I particularly appreciated the use of light, and the range of expressions the artist captured in his human faces. The text itself had a poetic cadence, making this a good read-aloud selection, which is hardly surprising when one considers that the story was developed by the co-authors as a readers' theater piece for young people. All in all, this is one I would recommend to picture book readers and audiences in the mood for spooky read-alouds.

[Juushika · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know those vintage advertisements featuring photorealistic illustrations of cherubic, uncannily over-expressive kids in full color? Like that, only darker watercolors, and at the heart of the narrative is an eerie tree watching the kids with its branch-framed moon, its nighttime critters, its drifting leaves. It could be an interesting tonal contrast if it felt intentional, but it doesn't, really--this leans hard into a nostalgia I just don't share or care about, and it overshadows the promising spooky elements.

[Michelle Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a spooky story in which two sibling were asked by their mother to grab a bucket of milk at the end of town down a spooky road. As they are walking down the road the older sister tries to scare the young boy with the ghost-eye tree. As the sibling cross the ghost-eye tree they are terrified for what they see.
This story was meant to be read aloud, it a theater piece. I find children will enjoy reading a spooky story out loud filled with rhyme, rhythm, and repetition. The dark and spooky illustrations add to the story, bringing the story to life.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brother and sister are sent by their mother to fetch a pail of milk on a dark and windy autumn night. Their trek takes them down a lonely road to the end of town, where they must pass by the ghost-eye tree. The boy ponders why his mother waits until dark to send them for the milk, when his mind runs free. These thoughts only increases his fears. This eerie poem tests the mettle of the reader and the siblings, but doesn't ease the lad's fears.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One dark and windy night” ... two children are asked to go fetch a bucket of milk. It is a scary walk at night because of the Ghost-Eye Tree (feared by all). Nothing happens on the way to get the milk, but on the way home the Ghost-Eye Tree reaches out to grab them (does it really?) and the boy loses his “tough” hat. Who will make it back?

Facing fears

[Emily Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent storytime book. The kids were genuinely afraid, the pictures of the tree especially got to my kiddos. The prose is fine, its a little dated, but still delivers and easy to understand narrative and a fun rhyming refrain. The kids were spooked and invested. Definitely an October storytime book.

[Chandler Herson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my youngest last night and it brought back lots of memories when I first read it. It’s a great “scary/not scary” book and shows the power that our younger imaginations can play on us. A great Halloween read for parents who don’t want to scare their kids on Halloween!!

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Quest #16 - A neat little tale of kids going to get milk and having to pass an old tree which in the dark appears haunted.
Great illustrations and use of language, almost poetic in thought and word, a great little read.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy and his older sister must pass by a spooky old tree on their way to do an errand for their mother. Ted Rand's watercolor illustrations are beautiful and so evocative of a simpler time.

[Jay-san · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book that I ever signed out of any library (probably around 5 or 6). It's even scarier when I read it now: 23 years later.

[Amelia B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A childhood favorite of mine: never disappoints.

[Madison Gullekson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a brother and sister that have to go outside at night to out to get milk but there is a scary Ghost-Eye Tree who reaches out for the children and they run home all afraid.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

AR 2.3

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This probably would’ve terrified me as a child. Otherwise, the story fell a little flat for me.

[Mary M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to my kids (who are now in their 30’s & 40’s) when they were young and every one of them have gotten it for their children. The illustrations are wonderful.

[Viviana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art 4-5 stars

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

book used to terrify me as a kid, and yet id beg my mom to read it to me every night. perhaps this started my love of all things spooky!

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Great for early readers wanting to read independently.

[Create · Rating 2 out of 5]

good

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cool story, with some beautiful artwork! I love that it very effectively depicts what the imagination of a child, or even an adult can do to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

[Lulu Cares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Very weird! Good illustrations.
Thank you Bill and Martin and Ted.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost too scary for the 3 year old. The artwork is dark in collaboration of the haunting story perfect for young readers or for story time around Halloween that isn’t connected with the holiday.

[IUS F19 Keisha Levi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helps children with fear of darkness.