Sir Simon: Super Scarer

Simon and Chester #.5

by Cale Atkinson

A delightful, funny story of friendship, ghost chores, a spooky house and a professional haunter.

Meet Sir Simon, Super Scarer. He's a professional ghost who has been transferred to his first house. And just in time! He was getting tired of haunting bus stops and forests and potatoes. And to top it off, this house is occupied by an old lady -- they're the easiest to haunt!

But things don't go as planned when it turns out a KID comes with this old lady. Chester spots Simon immediately and peppers him with questions. Simon is exasperated. . . until he realizes he can trick Chester into doing his ghost chores. Spooky sounds, footsteps in the attic, creaks on the stairs -- these things don't happen on their own, you know!

After a long night of haunting, it seems that maybe Chester isn't cut out to be a ghost, so Simon decides to help with Chester's human chores. Turns out Simon isn't cut out for human chores either.

But maybe they're both cut out to be friends . . .

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens, Ghosts, Friendship, Humor, Paranormal

46 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2018

About the author

Cale Atkinson is an illustrator/writer/animator currently residing in Kelowna Canada.
Believing in tea more than sleep, Cale is constantly working on numerous projects. His work can be found in children’s books, animated shorts, television, and games.

Publishers Cale has worked with include Disney Hyperion, Tundra, Simon and Schuster, Doubleday, KidsCan Press, Owl Books, Grosset & Dunlap, GreyStone, Scholastic, Pearson, and Marvel.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon is a ghost moving up in the world and he gets his first house to haunt. The family moving in has a boy named Chester and Simon thinks he can use Chester to do all his ghost chores. Chester isn’t the best at ghosting.

It’s a tale of friendship and learning to respect one another. The book is full of energy and charm. Simon is funny. Simon likes needlepoint and writing and speaking French. It’s a cute beginning story kids can enjoy. Simon is super cute.

The nephew thought this was an informative story. He wondered if our house had a ghost and I told him that it did. It’s not nice like Simon. He didn’t believe me and I said that was ok. He would rather play with Frankenstein than a ghost he said, but he liked the story as it was about monsters. He thought the kids were fun together. He gave this 4 stars.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many pop culture references! I love this book!

I’ve read it twice so far and I picked up so much more the second time around. I began to suspect something was up when I began to find random Stephen King references in the illustrations early on during my first read. I started specifically looking for them and found more of those and plenty of other beauties. I won’t tell you all of the references I found because that would take all the fun out of finding them yourself but some of the standouts for me were:
* Pennywise
* 237
* Slimer
* Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
* Jason’s mask
* Freddy Krueger’s shirt
* Audrey II
* A cat clock that looked suspiciously like it was borrowed from Doc Brown.

And my absolute favourite? The Proton Vac!

That’s nowhere near all of the ones I’ve found and I’m under no illusion that I’ve found them all - yet!

Oh, and the story’s a lot of fun as well. Sir Simon Spookington has haunted a lot of things in his career but this is his first time haunting a house. He’s excited to be haunting grandparents as old people are on top of The Pyramid of Haunting. With his free time (because, as we all know, old people sleep all the time! 😜) Sir Simon is looking forward to working on his novel, but things don’t exactly go to plan.

SO. MUCH. FUN. 👻

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a ghost named Simon. He's a super scarer, taking his Ghost chores very seriously. After he gets assigned to haunt a house, he thinks things are going to be easy when a grandmother moves in. The problem, though, is that she's brought her grandson, Chester. Rather than being scared of Simon, Chester is curious about him. Too curious. To get the kid off his back, Simon enlists him as an honourary Ghost and gets him to take over all the Ghost chores (so Simon can do his cross-stitch and work on his novel, of course). Things don't go so well, though; Chester's not very good at Ghost chores... and, as it turns out, Simon's not very good at human chores. But the two eventually become friends and work to their own strengths.

The retro-style illustrations are pretty cute. There's lots to look at, especially on the spreads where the duo are depicted in various rooms of the house. The end papers are also a lot of fun. (And don't miss the illustration on the back cover if you want to crack a smile!)

This is a simple story about friendship, with just the right amount of spookiness and humour for the Halloween season.

Quotable moment:

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Simon Spookington is a cute, rotund “professional ghost” who’s haunted many things--a boat, a bus stop, a forest--but is now being transferred to a house that’s awaiting new owners. He’s up for the challenge but laments the increase in chores, such as stair-creaking and standing stock-still in windows while wearing old-fashioned clothes. One day, Simon meets Chester, an exuberant little boy who’s the grandson of the couple moving in. They become friends, and comedy ensues when Simon gets the eager Chester to help with chores.

Sir Simon Super Scarer is a Halloween read that makes the season (and ghosts!) cozy, not scary. I love the many adorable illustrations of Simon and how author Cale Atkinson portrayed stereotypical haunting incidents as ghost chores. The color palette evokes the season perfectly with its generous use of browns and rust-orange, plus a sprinkling of black, purple, and dark blue. The story ends on an abrupt note, but overall, I like the feel of this happy book. It makes me miss the Halloween of my childhood, when excitement hung in the air, and the night was magical for a few hours.

Recommended for children ages four to eight.

NOTE: I received this in September 2022 as a complementary finished copy through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I now have two grandchildren I am finding more treasures in the children's book world. This is one of those! A ghost is busy performing his nightly haunting chores when he is interrupted by a new addition to the family. A little boy. Although the story is told through the eyes of the ghost and how he makes friends with the little boy, the underlying story is just so very sweet.

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Simon is a card carrying ghostest with the mostest! He's a professional at haunting everything from forests and boats to ukeleles and even pizza. He's being transferred to his very first haunted house and is excited to find that grandparents are moving into his house! In the pyramid of haunting, old people are at the top because they sleep all the time. Now Simon will have plenty of spare time away from his chores (like stomping in the attic and standing in windows wearing old-timey clothes in the early morning hours) to pursue his hobbies of cross-stitching, learning French, and even writing a novel.
But not only does a sweet cookie-baking grandmother move in to the house, so does Chester ...a kid. Kids are at the very bottom of the pyramid of haunting; they're way too curious! Simon thinks he'll have to spend all his time doing ghost chores with Chester living in the house -- or maybe he can teach Chester how to do the chores for him!
This is a really entertaining story about the unlikely friendship between a ghost and a boy that's sure to bring plenty of laughs from both kids and adults. Sir Simon: Super Scarer is an excellent book for parents to read aloud and young emerging readers will enjoy the silly illustrations.
Thanks to Tundra Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not resist that cover ;-) At times, I found the story cute and clever yet sometime it felt too scattered. However, ultimately it is a sweet story and if you don't mind a bit of mild potty humor (let me just say, my kids loved the back cover, LOL) it's an inoffensive and fairly gentle "ghost story" suitable for Halloween or any time of the year.
UPDATE 2024: This is still one of my youngest's favorite picture books. I get it from the library every October but this year I bought him his own copy because he still loves it so much and reads it over and over again and loves to act out scenes from the story :-) He is outgrowing most picture books but this one is still a winner in his book.

It appears Sir Simon and his new human friend later team up in a graphic novel, Super Detectives!.

[Hilda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today is my first day at my first haunted house. FINALLY! There’s only so long a ghost can hunt a bus stop or a forest or a potato.

I know I’m a couple of months late but I love this ghost story. I have some really good Halloween books but this is my new favorite. This book isn’t just a really cute story about friendship but it’s illustrations are the best!!!!

Sir Simon Spookington, Esq. finally has his own house to haunt. What could go wrong, he’s an expert after all?

This story is ridiculously cute. Simon finally has his own house to haunt and a grandmother and her grandson move in. A boy named Chester who wants to be a ghost too. Hilarious shenanigans ensue, where a ghost and boy (who doesn’t know any scary noises) become best friends.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canadian picture-book author/artist Cale Atkinson whips up a fantastic friendly-ghost story in Sir Simon: Super Scarer, which chronicles the trials and travails of its titular spirit, as he takes up his first job haunting a house. Hoping for some elderly people to scare, as they make the easiest targets, leaving him free time to pursue his other interests, Simon instead discovers that his new house comes with a young boy named Chester. Will Chester prove himself an adept ghost assistant? Will Simon become a human helper? Or will something even better happen to both of them...?

Having enjoyed many of Atkinson's earlier stories, particularly his recent Where Oliver Fits , I picked up Sir Simon: Super Scarer with some high expectations. I enjoy tales about friendly ghosts, and this is a worthy addition to the genre. The story is sweet and ultimately heartwarming, and the digital artwork colorful and appealing. I appreciated some of the visual formatting here, in the scenes depicting the various tasks set for Chester by Simon, and then for Simon by Chester. Recommended to readers who enjoy titles such as Robert Bright's Georgie , and to anyone looking for gentler ghost stories in general.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Simon: Super Scarer is one of the cutest children's books that I've read in a while! I smiled the whole way through! I couldn't help but laugh at the adorable little facial expressions, and the issues that Simon runs into when he finds out that the tenant in his first ever haunted home is actually a little boy who just wants to be Simon's friend. the artwork is stunning, and make the story that much more wonderful. I am hoping to see more books with Sir Simon in them, and soon!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate it!

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY RATING: 5/5 STARS 
I received a copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books in exchange for a honest review. 

I am truly forever grateful to the wonderful team at PRH Canada for sending me this copy because it has introduced me to my new favourite genre of children novels. I know I may be a little too old for them but Sir Simon reminded me the pure joy of reading a picture book. Cale Atkinson is mostly known for his illustrative works---they're so stinkin' adorable--but his writing is exception as well. 

Sir Simon tells the story of a ghost named Sir Simon. He's been a ghost for a long time and will waste none to tell you that he works really hard to do his job well. He does a lot of ghost chores, for example. There is a set schedule for him every single day to haunt whatever he's assigned to. One hour he might have to make spooky noises in the vents and the next he would have to walk back and forth down the halls for realistic footstep sounds. Things change when the house Sir Simon is haunting allows for the residency of an elderly grandmother and much to his surprise--a child. Chester is a spunky little rascal. Instead of being worried over seeing an adorable spooky ghost, he's delighted to have a friend instead. He follows everything Sir Simon tells him to do. Only until something is revealed does Sir Simon may feel guilty for his actions towards Chester. 

Reader, I am in love with this story. Not only did the pictures compliment so well with the story but the story line almost made me cry. I had to take a long breath when the plot twist was revealed. Every picture was a piece of art with so many details left to uncover. You would definitely not being doing the book justice by reading it once. You must read. Repeat. And read it again. 

MY RECOMMENDATION
READ THIS BOOK. BUY IT. SHARE IT WITH A YOUNG ONE. OR JUST KEEP IT FOR YOUR HEART.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIR SIMON is a sweet story of a professional ghost who has been assigned to haunt a new house. But things don’t go as planned, as a smart kid comes with the house ... one who figures Simon out and haunts him with too many questions. A funny beautifully illustrated tale of a ghost, a little boy and an unlikely friendship. 5/5

Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#SirSimon:SuperScarer #NetGalley

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Simon is a ghost that is finally moving into a haunted house, but who is also moving in? A human boy and his grandmother! It's a lot of work being a ghost, and Simon tricks Chester into helping Simon with his haunting work. Later, Simon repents and offers to help Chester with his human work. Neither is very good at doing the other's work, but they are good at becoming friends.

This is a fun story of developing a friendship between two that are very different, with lots of kid appeal.

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really funny story about the live of a ghost and the friendship that he make with an young boy. The illustrations and the pages organization are truly pretty and original. The story is fun and will surely make you laugh. I loved it a lot!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Simon is a real, honest-to-goodness ghost. He haunts all sorts of things and finally gets promoted to house haunting. He thinks it will be a grandparent who moves in, but there is a child as well. This is a fun story about Chester, the boy who lives in the house, trying to be a ghost and not faring well, then Simon tries to be like a boy and fails miserably. They discover that they are very different, but they have some things in common and can still be great friends. A cute story about how you can be friends with people even if they are different from you. It is also a great story to read at Hallowe'en. The illustrations are wonderful, some large, some smaller in a series format. My grandson enjoyed the story and spent hours making scary sounds after we finished reading. Fortunately he did not want to wear a ghost costume.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Simon, Super Scarer, is a professional ghost out on his first assignment to a house. He's sure that he'll have an easy time of it, being assigned to an old lady -- but he doesn't count on her bringing a little kid along! The kid, Chester, isn't afraid of Sir Simon at all. In fact, Chester has endless questions, much to Simon's annoyance. The illustrations are very cute and the story is sweet.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of fun. A little bit of scatological humor, which I'm never a big fan of [especially in children's literature]), but overall a great concept. Very funny and would work great as a read aloud. Simon's attempts at being a novelist are the best parts of the story, in my opinion.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can a ghost and a little boy be friends? What happens when Simon, super scarer and Chester try to help each other with their chores? They discover they have a lot in common; both have been transferred to a lot of different homes.

[Amber Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cale Atkinson does it again! Sir Simon Super Scarer was a fantastic story about a ghost and a boy who both want to be super and they spur one another on even when they don't really want to. Adorable.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cute children’s picture book about Simon, a ghost, who has many ghostly duties to do. He tries to entice Chester, the little boy in his house, to do his chores for him.

[Lacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Super Detectives and loving it, I looked up this book at my library while I wait on the sequel. It's basically how Simon and Chester met and became friends. 🤍💙

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the cutest books!!! The text and illustrations are both fantastic! A super fun one to read aloud and also quietly peruse the detailed illustrations. Had be laughing from the start. Yet also incredibly sweet. A new favorite:-)

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Simon Super Scarer is a professional ghost and even has his own business card to prove it. " Sir Simon Super Scarer... Ghosts with the mostest" it reads. Now who wouldn't want to hire him?

He has haunted forests, a boat, a bus stop, and strange things like a doll, a pizza and even a potato, just to name a few. Finally he gets a promotion and is assigned to his very first house to haunt and is he excited! Unfortunately, with that stroke of good luck comes some bad news. He will be responsible to carry out ghost chores at his new location, chores like creaking the stairs, flickering the lights, flushing the toilets, hiding and moving things around, or standing creepy in a window wearing old-times clothes. He discovers his assigned house will have old people moving in which is good because they sleep a lot. If they sleep lots his chore list won't be so long and therefore he will be able to spend more free time on things that he loves to do. That's a bonus right?

He is excited to meet his clients but that happiness soon disappears because he discovers there is one old grandma and.... one spunky kid that moves in. Oh nooooo he never expected a kid would be around to spoil his plans and bug him.

He learns that the kid's name is Chester and Chester is over-the-moon happy knowing a real live ( well dead ) ghost lives in the house. He pellets a million questions at Sir Simon Super Scarer and asks if he can be a ghost too?

Crafty Simon has a eureka moment....mmmmm.... yes Chester would be a perfect partner in crime. The kid can perform all the ghost chores leaving Sir Simon to enjoy more and more free time for the things he loves like, cross- stitch, learning French and working on his thrilling novel. What a brilliant plan!!!

Will it work? Unfortunately although Chester has every intention of pleasing his new ghost friend he is not good at haunting and Sir Simon discovers that little Chester has been moved around a lot just like him. Empathy and compassion kicks in and Sir Simon repents and offered to help Chester out with his human chores which he is not good at either. Oh my!! One thing they do find out is that they are very good at being friends together. I love a story with a happy ending and his story does not disappoint.

The illustrations are wonderful and they carry the storyline perfectly. They are animated and full of emotion and detail which I like. The message of the book is positive and redemptive. I highly recommend this book.

[Sarah Hyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS BOOK.

I checked it out from the library because my kids love Halloweeny books. The illustrations are adorable and have tons of fun little details. The text is fun and readable, and my son thought the book was very funny. That would have been enough. It was a cute, well written and nicely illustrated, quality children's book.

But it went beyond that. The ghost, who has haunted a whole list of objects/places, is haunting a house. Into the house move a child and his grandmother. That's it. The child lives with his grandma, and it's not the main plot point of the book. It's normalized. It's just how things are. The ghost later notices photos on the child's dresser and makes a comment about how it looks like the kid had moved around a lot, too. The photos show the kid with various caregivers.

I did not expect emotions in regard to reading my kid a silly Halloween book , and I definitely didn't expect it to be the foster care/kinship care book I didn't know I needed. Where the kid's history is mentioned but not the main plot point. That a kid who has bounced from home to home can have crazy ghost adventures and have those crazy ghost adventures be the point of the story.

It flew over my son's head and I didn't linger on it -- we were trying to get through the story. But I have a feeling I'll be rereading this one, and it could be something to mention next time.

I just loved this book.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon is a ghost who has haunted a bunch of different places like a forest and a boat. Now he has his first assignment to haunt a house. As a ghost, he has chores that he has to take care of, including moving things around, creaking the stairs and flushing the toilets. After he does that, he has time for his own hobbies. Everything was going well until a child moved in, a child who could immediately see Simon and wanted to talk. Simon decides to have the boy do his ghost chores for him, but things don’t work out quite as planned.

Atkinson tells this story in Simon the ghost’s voice which creates a great tone throughout. The book is filled with humor, from Simon’s previous jobs in haunting to his list of the easiest people to scare to the boy learning to haunt a house. The art adds to that appeal with funny touches like using a flowered sheet to be a ghost. It is done in a style that has a vintage feel and a modern edge.

A great ghost story when you are looking for giggles rather than gasps. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Stephanie P (Because My Mother Read) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

4.5 stars. This is my kind of spooky story–not scary at all and completely adorable! The main character is the most loveable little ghost and it was so fun to hear him explain all the ins and outs of his job and his complaints about all the chores.

When a kid unexpectedly factors into his plans he learns some sweet lessons about friendship and understanding another’s perspective. The interactions between the boy and the ghost are so much fun.

My kids loved the silliness in the story and we have reread it many times. All the illustrations are adorable and complement the story perfectly.

I think it would be fun to read this book around Halloween time since it features a ghost and a ‘haunted house’ but it’s definitely perfect for reading year round.

[Sara (Sjthroughthelookingglass) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Simon: Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson is a story about a professional ghost just transferred to his first house to haunt. This children's book is charmingly funny with beautiful and silly layered illustrations. Simon is all set to settle in to his cushy new job when he realizes the new house is home to a kid, kids being the worst to haunt. Atkinsin captures the excitement and energy of this kid, Chester, so well and soon a humorous story of a unique friendship unwinds.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an e-galley from Netgalley in return for an honest review.*
Super cute story about a ghost names Simon who is finally assigned to haunt a house! And best of all, old people live there, the easiest to haunt! Except there is also Chester, a little boy in the house who Simon convinces to help him with his ghost chores.
Fun story about a not-so-scary ghost.

[Kelly Veatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable! Gonna order this one for our school library for our Halloween collection. So cute!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable.