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The House with Nobody in It
Peek through doors and windows to explore a mysterious house in this innovative shaped novelty book for young readers who relish the lightly spooky, from the Caldecott Medal–winning and New York Times bestselling Jon Klassen, creator of I Want My Hat Back and The Skull.
Here are the things in this house: a chair, a clock on the wall, a stool, a lamp. And more. What’s missing from this house? Somebody. This is the house with nobody in it. Well, there might be something . . .
Designed as a sturdy keepsake to read, play with, and treasure, The House with Nobody in It takes readers through a recognizable, cozy house, while layered die-cut doors and windows throughout introduce a hint of intrigue. This is the house with nobody in it—or is it?
Pairing the familiar with a touch of mystery, Jon Klassen proves once again to be a master of breaking the mold, playing with expectations . . . and delighting even the youngest of readers.
Here are the things in this house: a chair, a clock on the wall, a stool, a lamp. And more. What’s missing from this house? Somebody. This is the house with nobody in it. Well, there might be something . . .
Designed as a sturdy keepsake to read, play with, and treasure, The House with Nobody in It takes readers through a recognizable, cozy house, while layered die-cut doors and windows throughout introduce a hint of intrigue. This is the house with nobody in it—or is it?
Pairing the familiar with a touch of mystery, Jon Klassen proves once again to be a master of breaking the mold, playing with expectations . . . and delighting even the youngest of readers.
18 pages, Board Book
Published July 14, 2026
About the author
Jon Klassen
95 books1,956 followersJon Klassen received the 2010 Canadian Governor General’s Award for his illustrations in Caroline Stutson’s Cat's Night Out. He also created illustrations for the popular series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place and served as an illustrator on the animated feature film Coraline (2009). I Want My Hat Back is the first book he has both written and illustrated. Originally from Niagara Falls, Canada, he lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Often value is placed on those things that people have previously forgotten about and disregarded for years. Comic books only became valuable when it became clear how many were thrown out of parents’ basements. A first edition copy of a book that had a limited print run at the start is worth more than a title whose worth was evident from day one. Children’s books, traditionally, are discounted in a similar manner. The word “juvenile” is synonymous, in some brains, with the infantile, childish, and unworthy. I well recall a children’s author once telling me how a friend was shocked that he wouldn’t consider writing for adults. “You’re like a gourmet chef making baby food!” Never mind that that’s how babies stay alive. Board books, of course, are the earliest forms of literature of all. For an egregious amount of time people believed that there was no value in reading to a baby. They can’t even see properly for the first few months, for crying out loud! Even today, there are parents that hold off on reading to their children until those kids can speak whole sentences (as backwards a method of education as ever you might conceive). Even amongst children’s authors and illustrators it is not particularly common to expect them to make a board book in their career. Sendak never did it, nor did Seuss (though, in the latter case, his works have been turned into board books since). Occasionally a contemporary creator will give it a go, but unless you’re Sandra Boyton it isn’t really seen as a place on which to rest a career. So I suppose it was only a matter of time before it became appealing as a challenge. Hervé Tullet started playing with the form, creating books that are meant for flashlights and small poky fingers. Seymour Chwast, near the end of his career, came up with the nose shaped Nosy, as inventive as it is playful. But Jon Klassen? He’s not doing quite the same thing. Having gotten a running start already with the “Your” board book series (Your Island, Your Farm, Your Truck, etc.) he’s decided to flex his muscles a little and go in a slightly different direction. Somewhere odd and interesting and ultimately a new direction for the board book genre. And it’s about bloody time too.
The house shaped board book states quite clearly what’s going on in its title. Open it and you are outside the house. The text is straightforward. “There is nobody in this house. There used to be somebody. But there is nobody now. Let’s go look inside.” With a turn of each page you go through a room, usually with one object inside. Through the doorways, you can spot what’s coming up. It’s all very straightforward until you get to the third room. “There is a small stool on the floor in this room. And a lamp.” Next to the doorway stands a ghost, silent and staring. “Let’s go into the next room,” reads the text. Now as you go on, the ghost is always peeking out from where it stood. The narrator continues, oblivious, until you’re outside. It repeats what it said at the start. “But there is nobody now,” it concludes. End of tale.
This is one of those cases where you read a children’s book, put it down, then stare into space for a little while, trying to figure out how to categorize it, classify it, and order it in your brain. I’m a children’s librarian by training. I read a book like this and I need to know how best to sell it to someone. Who is the intended audience, what is the intended use, and how does that jive with how the publisher sees it? Out of curiosity, I read the press materials for this book. What does Candlewick Press think that they have on their hands here? Generally speaking… yeah, they’re not quite sure. They’re trying to say that it’s like a good book for younger siblings of kids who are into Klassen's The Skull (an adapted Tyrolean folktale of infinite charm). I mean… sure. But that seems like a kind of limited way of looking at it. For all that I adored The Skull I’m not sure it’s a household name quite yet. Extra points to the person writing the ad copy, though, for saying that this book contains, “die cuts to introduce mystery and precarity…” LOVE the use of the word “precarity” there. Then they consider it a possible Halloween book, which is probably a good bet and not a bad way to go. I can’t blame them for taking this tactic anyway, since I think this book’s use is a bit too difficult to describe in an elevator pitch.
Essentially, I see this book as having two distinct uses. In the first case, it’s going to be a perfect preschool readaloud. The person doing the reading will reinforce the text that says that there’s nobody there, causing the small children in the audience to scream and yell that they’re wrong. There’s a ghost! It’s right there! 100 points to anyone reading the book who acts like they don’t know what the kids are talking about. That’ll drive them bonkers. Now the second use of the book is a little more personal. I can well imagine someone with a child on their lap reading it, and some children being highly disturbed by the concept of “nobody”. This is precisely the kind of book that will both disturb and fascinate them. They’ll be scared of it… then secretly crawl over to pull it from the shelf to read and reread precisely because it does unnerve them. It’ll work its way into the fissures and cracks of their gray matter, affecting their reading preferences for, potentially, their entire life. No average board book can do that. For that to happen, you need something a little weird, and particularly special. You need a book like this.
I’ve a disparaging term I like to use when I talk about board books that aren’t really meant for children: Coffee Table Board Books. You know the kind. The books that address adult topics in a board book form, for the sole purpose of making the parents of the kids look cool. Surprisingly (to me anyway) that description does not fit The House With Nobody In It. Not a jot. Not a smidgen. And it all comes down to its language. I often get a bit peeved when I encounter children’s book creators that are masterful at both writing and art. Seems unfair to the rest of us over here. Kadir Nelson falls into that category, and so does Jon Klassen, only Klassen seems to have mastered simplicity, which is a skill even most children’s book writers have failed to acquire. The book opens with “There is nobody in this house. There used to be somebody. But there is nobody now. Let’s go look inside.” That tone. How do you acquire a tone like that? And shoot, I’m just gonna say it, but please also note the font. Nobody talks about font choice in children’s books, but when you have a title like this one it can mean the world. Apparently it’s Helvetica LT Pro and I can guaran-damn-tee you that Klassen had a hand in that choice. There’s something that happens when the wordplay and the look of the wordplay combine that actually can affect how you read a book out loud. Your cadences cool. Your voice takes on a plummy quality. It’s as though the calm of the book seeps into your eyeballs and out your larynx, and, so help me, I don’t know how the man does it.
Now let’s talk about color. The house in question is a deep umber red, a color that miraculously does not come across the average reader as “barn”. The red is just a little too brown for that. The doorway and window with the ghost are black, which strikes one as a little spooky. Indeed, even the title page and publication page are pure black. Yet when you turn the page suddenly we’re outside the house again and it’s sunny. Sure, the sun appears to be setting, and the rooms in the home are cast with that end-of-day yellow and blue, but it’s still relatively chipper. As you turn the pages and walk through the home, however, not only are you moving farther and farther away from that sun, but the rooms themselves are darkening as the day closes. Ignore the clock that seems to indicate that it’s 12:55 (one can assume that the clock is busted in a house with “nobody” in it). A co-worker and I took note of the fact that the ghost appears in the first darker room (a deep forest green), and that the next rooms grow only a little bit darker and a little bit darker after that. Klassen isn’t overplaying his hand, and he’s being extremely careful with his color choices. The fact that the only objects in the last room are boots (where everything else was furniture) lends just the slightest increase to the creepy factor of it all. By the time you get outside the sun has set and a moon has risen. You get those final lines, “There is nobody in this house. There used to be somebody. But there is nobody now.” And it’s absolutely pitch perfect.
The board book was never originally designed to do much more than be a potentially munchable form of introducing kids to literature and books early on. Over the years its form has been tweaked and perfected. Flaps are now less likely to get tugged out. There are tactile elements, parts that spin, even mirrors sometimes. As children age, even if they’re still rough-handed preschoolers, they sometimes feel that they’ve graduated beyond board books. Yet, as any preschool teacher will attest, board books remain the number one way of providing small children with books that will last more than one or two reads. Jon Klassen’s interest in the form is, perhaps, the start of something new. Following The House With Nobody In It, he has the potential to inspire other creators and other publishers to explore and play with the form in more creative ways. If they do, though, they’re going to need to understand why exactly this book works. It isn’t because it’s cool (it is) or trendy looking (it is). It’s because it’s cool and trendy AND actually interesting to kids. This book respects very young readers. It respects their capacity to tell a story beyond the one in their hands. The House With Nobody In It is a jumping off point for small brains and imaginations. And because of the level of care and attention that Klassen has poured into this book, THAT, if anything, is why it’s going to succeed. The rare board book that threads the needle between what kids like and what adults like. In other words, this book lives in the sweet spot. Now pick it up and go see why.
The house shaped board book states quite clearly what’s going on in its title. Open it and you are outside the house. The text is straightforward. “There is nobody in this house. There used to be somebody. But there is nobody now. Let’s go look inside.” With a turn of each page you go through a room, usually with one object inside. Through the doorways, you can spot what’s coming up. It’s all very straightforward until you get to the third room. “There is a small stool on the floor in this room. And a lamp.” Next to the doorway stands a ghost, silent and staring. “Let’s go into the next room,” reads the text. Now as you go on, the ghost is always peeking out from where it stood. The narrator continues, oblivious, until you’re outside. It repeats what it said at the start. “But there is nobody now,” it concludes. End of tale.
This is one of those cases where you read a children’s book, put it down, then stare into space for a little while, trying to figure out how to categorize it, classify it, and order it in your brain. I’m a children’s librarian by training. I read a book like this and I need to know how best to sell it to someone. Who is the intended audience, what is the intended use, and how does that jive with how the publisher sees it? Out of curiosity, I read the press materials for this book. What does Candlewick Press think that they have on their hands here? Generally speaking… yeah, they’re not quite sure. They’re trying to say that it’s like a good book for younger siblings of kids who are into Klassen's The Skull (an adapted Tyrolean folktale of infinite charm). I mean… sure. But that seems like a kind of limited way of looking at it. For all that I adored The Skull I’m not sure it’s a household name quite yet. Extra points to the person writing the ad copy, though, for saying that this book contains, “die cuts to introduce mystery and precarity…” LOVE the use of the word “precarity” there. Then they consider it a possible Halloween book, which is probably a good bet and not a bad way to go. I can’t blame them for taking this tactic anyway, since I think this book’s use is a bit too difficult to describe in an elevator pitch.
Essentially, I see this book as having two distinct uses. In the first case, it’s going to be a perfect preschool readaloud. The person doing the reading will reinforce the text that says that there’s nobody there, causing the small children in the audience to scream and yell that they’re wrong. There’s a ghost! It’s right there! 100 points to anyone reading the book who acts like they don’t know what the kids are talking about. That’ll drive them bonkers. Now the second use of the book is a little more personal. I can well imagine someone with a child on their lap reading it, and some children being highly disturbed by the concept of “nobody”. This is precisely the kind of book that will both disturb and fascinate them. They’ll be scared of it… then secretly crawl over to pull it from the shelf to read and reread precisely because it does unnerve them. It’ll work its way into the fissures and cracks of their gray matter, affecting their reading preferences for, potentially, their entire life. No average board book can do that. For that to happen, you need something a little weird, and particularly special. You need a book like this.
I’ve a disparaging term I like to use when I talk about board books that aren’t really meant for children: Coffee Table Board Books. You know the kind. The books that address adult topics in a board book form, for the sole purpose of making the parents of the kids look cool. Surprisingly (to me anyway) that description does not fit The House With Nobody In It. Not a jot. Not a smidgen. And it all comes down to its language. I often get a bit peeved when I encounter children’s book creators that are masterful at both writing and art. Seems unfair to the rest of us over here. Kadir Nelson falls into that category, and so does Jon Klassen, only Klassen seems to have mastered simplicity, which is a skill even most children’s book writers have failed to acquire. The book opens with “There is nobody in this house. There used to be somebody. But there is nobody now. Let’s go look inside.” That tone. How do you acquire a tone like that? And shoot, I’m just gonna say it, but please also note the font. Nobody talks about font choice in children’s books, but when you have a title like this one it can mean the world. Apparently it’s Helvetica LT Pro and I can guaran-damn-tee you that Klassen had a hand in that choice. There’s something that happens when the wordplay and the look of the wordplay combine that actually can affect how you read a book out loud. Your cadences cool. Your voice takes on a plummy quality. It’s as though the calm of the book seeps into your eyeballs and out your larynx, and, so help me, I don’t know how the man does it.
Now let’s talk about color. The house in question is a deep umber red, a color that miraculously does not come across the average reader as “barn”. The red is just a little too brown for that. The doorway and window with the ghost are black, which strikes one as a little spooky. Indeed, even the title page and publication page are pure black. Yet when you turn the page suddenly we’re outside the house again and it’s sunny. Sure, the sun appears to be setting, and the rooms in the home are cast with that end-of-day yellow and blue, but it’s still relatively chipper. As you turn the pages and walk through the home, however, not only are you moving farther and farther away from that sun, but the rooms themselves are darkening as the day closes. Ignore the clock that seems to indicate that it’s 12:55 (one can assume that the clock is busted in a house with “nobody” in it). A co-worker and I took note of the fact that the ghost appears in the first darker room (a deep forest green), and that the next rooms grow only a little bit darker and a little bit darker after that. Klassen isn’t overplaying his hand, and he’s being extremely careful with his color choices. The fact that the only objects in the last room are boots (where everything else was furniture) lends just the slightest increase to the creepy factor of it all. By the time you get outside the sun has set and a moon has risen. You get those final lines, “There is nobody in this house. There used to be somebody. But there is nobody now.” And it’s absolutely pitch perfect.
The board book was never originally designed to do much more than be a potentially munchable form of introducing kids to literature and books early on. Over the years its form has been tweaked and perfected. Flaps are now less likely to get tugged out. There are tactile elements, parts that spin, even mirrors sometimes. As children age, even if they’re still rough-handed preschoolers, they sometimes feel that they’ve graduated beyond board books. Yet, as any preschool teacher will attest, board books remain the number one way of providing small children with books that will last more than one or two reads. Jon Klassen’s interest in the form is, perhaps, the start of something new. Following The House With Nobody In It, he has the potential to inspire other creators and other publishers to explore and play with the form in more creative ways. If they do, though, they’re going to need to understand why exactly this book works. It isn’t because it’s cool (it is) or trendy looking (it is). It’s because it’s cool and trendy AND actually interesting to kids. This book respects very young readers. It respects their capacity to tell a story beyond the one in their hands. The House With Nobody In It is a jumping off point for small brains and imaginations. And because of the level of care and attention that Klassen has poured into this book, THAT, if anything, is why it’s going to succeed. The rare board book that threads the needle between what kids like and what adults like. In other words, this book lives in the sweet spot. Now pick it up and go see why.
July 25, 2026
The Backrooms for babies.
September 5, 2026
Baby’s first A24-style horror
August 9, 2026
Am i allowed to log board books i preview-read for my yet unborn infant child? What are you a cop?
October 4, 2026
Will be sleeping with the lights on tonight #toospookyscary
September 14, 2026
"There is nobody in this house.
There used to be somebody."
This is a very sweet picture board book by Jon Klassen. The book is in the shape of the house, and there are cut outs on each page, so that you can see 'through' the book. The story is a gentle way of adding some spooky season vibes to your little ones' reading list. Adults will notice the clever play on words - there is nobody in this house. But even seemingly empty houses have a story to tell.
I think this is gentle enough without freaking little ones out too much. Klassen is great at what he does. I would recommend any book by him. And if you are looking for another with a slightly creepy touch, I would recommend The Skull; another great read for spooky season, but one aimed at slightly older children.
There used to be somebody."
This is a very sweet picture board book by Jon Klassen. The book is in the shape of the house, and there are cut outs on each page, so that you can see 'through' the book. The story is a gentle way of adding some spooky season vibes to your little ones' reading list. Adults will notice the clever play on words - there is nobody in this house. But even seemingly empty houses have a story to tell.
I think this is gentle enough without freaking little ones out too much. Klassen is great at what he does. I would recommend any book by him. And if you are looking for another with a slightly creepy touch, I would recommend The Skull; another great read for spooky season, but one aimed at slightly older children.
September 30, 2026
Baby’s first ghost story!! This book was spooky and we loved it! I liked pointing at all the pictures 👻
September 18, 2026
Read the Swedish edition
November 16, 2025
Maybe it's not fair to review a book without reading the whole thing, but it was featured in Mac and Jon's "Looking at Picture Books" substack/email newsletter and Jon showed nearly all the spreads, so I definitely got more than a taste of the book. It's a simple "story" for kids to follow- going through the rooms of the house, looking at what's left in there. The super cool thing is the cutout doors giving peeks to the room ahead/behind. Can't wait to read it in person!
August 16, 2026
a great gentle introduction to horror, for babies! start ‘em young. i will be buying this for my friends if they ever have kids.
August 17, 2026
IF I WAS A KID, I WOULD HAVE NIGHTMARES.
November 4, 2026
This is definitely a favourite for us and one we are rereading constantly. The language and images are simple and easy to remember and point out. A great book.
September 13, 2026
This would be creepy if it weren't so damn cute!
July 19, 2026
Spoilers: There was a ghost in it. There were no hats.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2026
A very beautifully illustrated and superficially simple picture boardbook. But there is some aspects of this that are rather chilling and potentially unsettling. Fascinating.
October 21, 2026
A wonderfully strange, understated little book with just the right amount of mystery.
I really love how Jon Klassen can make a book like The House with Nobody in It feel so effortless. The premise is simple: a house full of ordinary things—a chair, a clock, a lamp—but nobody seems to be inside. Or maybe somebody is. The die-cut doors and windows let you peek around the house, turning the whole thing into a small mystery for kids to investigate.
But as always with Klassen, the artwork is what really makes it work. His illustrations have such an incredible sense of restraint. Nothing feels forced or overly “quirky.” There are so many children’s books where the illustrations seem desperate to be whimsical, with exaggerated expressions, scribbly lines, and little visual jokes everywhere. It can feel exhausting. Klassen does almost the opposite. His art is clean, strange, funny, and completely confident. He knows exactly when to leave something alone.
That restraint also makes the house feel genuinely mysterious. There’s something slightly eerie about looking into an ordinary empty room and wondering if you’re actually alone. He never has to announce that something is spooky or funny. He just lets the image do it.
The die-cut format is great, too, because it gives young readers something to physically explore, and the simplicity of the design makes the whole book feel more like a little object than just another picture book. This is one to treasure.
I really love how Jon Klassen can make a book like The House with Nobody in It feel so effortless. The premise is simple: a house full of ordinary things—a chair, a clock, a lamp—but nobody seems to be inside. Or maybe somebody is. The die-cut doors and windows let you peek around the house, turning the whole thing into a small mystery for kids to investigate.
But as always with Klassen, the artwork is what really makes it work. His illustrations have such an incredible sense of restraint. Nothing feels forced or overly “quirky.” There are so many children’s books where the illustrations seem desperate to be whimsical, with exaggerated expressions, scribbly lines, and little visual jokes everywhere. It can feel exhausting. Klassen does almost the opposite. His art is clean, strange, funny, and completely confident. He knows exactly when to leave something alone.
That restraint also makes the house feel genuinely mysterious. There’s something slightly eerie about looking into an ordinary empty room and wondering if you’re actually alone. He never has to announce that something is spooky or funny. He just lets the image do it.
The die-cut format is great, too, because it gives young readers something to physically explore, and the simplicity of the design makes the whole book feel more like a little object than just another picture book. This is one to treasure.
September 3, 2026
Jon Klassen’s mind is like a watermill. Big. Severe. Heavy. That thing is churning. It’s like a ballet move on tippy-toes—with abs seriously clenched—and an output so sleek … so simple.
There is a secret to this book. A glorious, twisting, super-obvious secret, that is somehow not-secret, and yet—well, I can’t spill it. It’s too good! How does he do it? Too good! He’s a watermill! This is now immediately one of my favorite board books of all time!
But honestly: This book is exactly what we need! In an age when AI spits 10,000 words a second, what we need are more people spending a year drinking coffee in their studios, making books with 117 words in them! (As Jon says, “If someone says something and I have a picture next to it, it's just more interesting to watch if the picture is doing something else. If it's a double beat or redundant, then why are you drawing it?”) Yes. Deep layers, hidden complexity, and emotional warbles. This is a ghost story for pre-schoolers! And, well, uh, post-schoolers! With shifting windows, subtly dimming light, and a brilliantly evocative shape (first house book ever?) that just feels so smooth and sharp in your hands. What a wondrous thing.
What a captivating, entrancing, watermilly mind.
There is a secret to this book. A glorious, twisting, super-obvious secret, that is somehow not-secret, and yet—well, I can’t spill it. It’s too good! How does he do it? Too good! He’s a watermill! This is now immediately one of my favorite board books of all time!
But honestly: This book is exactly what we need! In an age when AI spits 10,000 words a second, what we need are more people spending a year drinking coffee in their studios, making books with 117 words in them! (As Jon says, “If someone says something and I have a picture next to it, it's just more interesting to watch if the picture is doing something else. If it's a double beat or redundant, then why are you drawing it?”) Yes. Deep layers, hidden complexity, and emotional warbles. This is a ghost story for pre-schoolers! And, well, uh, post-schoolers! With shifting windows, subtly dimming light, and a brilliantly evocative shape (first house book ever?) that just feels so smooth and sharp in your hands. What a wondrous thing.
What a captivating, entrancing, watermilly mind.
July 29, 2026
This is a great book for mini goths. It has a few problems, though:
1. It's a board book, which is a format strongly associated with ages 3 and younger. The content of this book is not going to land with ages 0-2. Three-year-olds, maybe.
2. It's too short and simple for ages 4-6. This is the age range that will most likely appreciate the contradictory text and illustrations. But it's over too quickly. I think Your Forest, which also has a ghost, is better than this book.
Still, I love it as a prompt for kids to imagine a prequel or sequel.
I'm going to share this at Pajama Story Time tonight and see what the kids think.
UPDATE: As expected, the toddlers at story time had no reaction to this. One 5yo was very mad at me for pretending I didn't see the ghost. She was like, "Librarian Destinee, don't mess with me!" Another 5yo loved it and grabbed it out of my hands as soon as I was done reading it so she could check it out. A 4yo kept saying, "There's an owl in the house!"
1. It's a board book, which is a format strongly associated with ages 3 and younger. The content of this book is not going to land with ages 0-2. Three-year-olds, maybe.
2. It's too short and simple for ages 4-6. This is the age range that will most likely appreciate the contradictory text and illustrations. But it's over too quickly. I think Your Forest, which also has a ghost, is better than this book.
Still, I love it as a prompt for kids to imagine a prequel or sequel.
I'm going to share this at Pajama Story Time tonight and see what the kids think.
UPDATE: As expected, the toddlers at story time had no reaction to this. One 5yo was very mad at me for pretending I didn't see the ghost. She was like, "Librarian Destinee, don't mess with me!" Another 5yo loved it and grabbed it out of my hands as soon as I was done reading it so she could check it out. A 4yo kept saying, "There's an owl in the house!"
October 21, 2026
Preschool Children will have lots of fun with this board book shaped like a house. Readers journey through mostly empty rooms, guided by a sequence of die-cut doors that layer together with every turn of the page. But just like the cover indicates, there is a ghost in the house. It’s not a frightening ghost, but remains visible through the die-cut doors although seemingly unnoticed by the narrator, which ought to provoke lots of giggles.
Kids are surely familiar with ghosts, especially with Halloween such a popular holiday, and this book will give them the opportunity to discuss potentially scary situations with adults. The bright colors, innovative design, and quirky story [a recurring feature of author/illustrator Klassen] provide an entertaining and safe space in which to do so.
Kids are surely familiar with ghosts, especially with Halloween such a popular holiday, and this book will give them the opportunity to discuss potentially scary situations with adults. The bright colors, innovative design, and quirky story [a recurring feature of author/illustrator Klassen] provide an entertaining and safe space in which to do so.
September 12, 2026
I came across this charming cutout board book the other day and had to check it out. The book is shaped like a house and has cutouts for windows and doors. What’s fun is that, as you go through the book and the narrator tells you things, you can see what is coming up through the next window or door. And one page is super surprising! A fun little book for kids who enjoy a little spooky with their board books. As always, love Klassen’s art. This one is proof that every book is art.
Mia’s 3rd Year of Books: Day 186
#FirsttoCheckOut
Mia’s 3rd Year of Books: Day 186
#FirsttoCheckOut
October 21, 2026
This book is weird.
It's minimal to the point of laziness. It's made as a board book which appeals to very young children, but the content is inappropriate, and will make a child fearful. There's no payoff, and the book gets progressively darker as it goes on. If you think reading this to your child is a good idea, you may have forgotten what it was like being a child. The line between real and imaginary is blurry at that age. I'm throwing this book in the garbage.
It's minimal to the point of laziness. It's made as a board book which appeals to very young children, but the content is inappropriate, and will make a child fearful. There's no payoff, and the book gets progressively darker as it goes on. If you think reading this to your child is a good idea, you may have forgotten what it was like being a child. The line between real and imaginary is blurry at that age. I'm throwing this book in the garbage.
August 5, 2026
I... do not get this book. It seems that other readers get and love this book, but I do not. It feels sad and, dare I say it, is pretty boring. I'm very curious to hear about the reactions of child readers, because besides the "there IS somebody!" factor, I can't see what's here to grab a child's attention. Or mine, for that matter.
August 31, 2026
Board Book
Younger readers may not understand the humor as the ghost appears in the home. The cut out format works well for readers to see hints of what is coming and how it fits with what they've already looked at. I would love to see this redeveloped as a longer book for elementary level readers.
Younger readers may not understand the humor as the ghost appears in the home. The cut out format works well for readers to see hints of what is coming and how it fits with what they've already looked at. I would love to see this redeveloped as a longer book for elementary level readers.
July 17, 2026
A board book where the reader 'walks' through the rooms of an abandoned house, that has nobody in it...except for the cheeky little ghost that shows up halfway through.
Adorable and only slightly spooky, for the younger set.
Adorable and only slightly spooky, for the younger set.
July 22, 2026
Like so many of Klassen's books, this one is deceptively simple. A wonderfully clever house-shaped board book has youngsters wandering through a seemingly empty house...but look again, and you'll spot the ghost haunting the pages. It's mildly spooky and perfect for the Halloween season.
August 27, 2026
I guess it took me reading a review to realize that this could be a Halloween book and that Nobody is a ghost. I thought it was an owl. As with so many of the authors books, there is so much more there. It will be interesting to see what others think.
August 27, 2026
Is this a board book aimed towards small children? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Also yes.
Jon Klassen's books always make me giggle, and this was no exception! There is NOBODY in this house! Just read it and take a look for yourself.
Jon Klassen's books always make me giggle, and this was no exception! There is NOBODY in this house! Just read it and take a look for yourself.
library-to-read
August 31, 2026Neil Pasricha says he didn't like it the first time he read it, even though Klassen handed him a signed copy. But when he reread it, he 'got' it. But he didn't make it clear what he 'got' out of it. Nor does Betsy, for that matter. I guess I'll have to see what I think... someday.
October 3, 2026
2 stars (it was okay)
Apparently I'm in the minority here but I just did not get this. In this board book, there are cut outs. Each page lists the things in the room. Halfway through the book, we see a ghost in the room but the text still promises nobody is there. I just found this weird.
Apparently I'm in the minority here but I just did not get this. In this board book, there are cut outs. Each page lists the things in the room. Halfway through the book, we see a ghost in the room but the text still promises nobody is there. I just found this weird.
October 24, 2026
Quirky, dry humor; eerie ghost character. Disquieting. More suited for older readers, not toddlers. Clever use of die-cut boards. Klassen's everpresent sophisticated art style and illustrations amuse.
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