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Funnybones
The Ghost Train
One night the three skeletons go for a ride on a ghost train with monster ticket collectors, and real ghosts driving the train. They stay out all night and get back home at four in the morning. As they wander home, they are scared by a screaming baby and race back to hide under the bed in their dark dark cellar.
- GenresChildrensPicture Books
23 pages, Paperback
Published August 21, 1992
4 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Allan Ahlberg
311 books174 followersAllan Ahlberg was one of the UK's most acclaimed and successful authors of children's books - including the best-selling Jolly Postman series. Born in Croydon in 1938, he was educated at Sunderland Technical College. Although he dreamed of becoming a writer since the age of twelve, his route to that goal was somewhat circuitous. Other jobs along the way included postman (not an especially jolly one, he recalls), gravedigger, plumber, and teacher.
Ahlberg wrote his first book when he was thirty-seven, after a decade of teaching - a profession that he maintains is "much harder" than being a writer. He says that if he hadn't become a writer, he would have loved to be a soccer player. He was married for many years to fellow children's author Janet Ahlberg, with whom he often worked. Their daughter, Jessica Ahlberg, is also a children's author.
Ahlberg wrote his first book when he was thirty-seven, after a decade of teaching - a profession that he maintains is "much harder" than being a writer. He says that if he hadn't become a writer, he would have loved to be a soccer player. He was married for many years to fellow children's author Janet Ahlberg, with whom he often worked. Their daughter, Jessica Ahlberg, is also a children's author.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 15, 2011
The Ghost Train by Allan Ahlberg & Andre Amstutz
This book is another opportunity to re-visit an all time favourite children’s story book of mine. I remember first being introduced to Allan Ahlberg back in primary school when I came across the book he had produced with his wife, “The Jolly Christmas Postman”; an amazing book full of creativity and excitement. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on that book but in searching for it at my local library I came across another one of my favourites by Allan Ahlberg which is the subject of this review.
This story revolves around an adventure undertaken by three skeletons embarking on a night time ride on a ghost train. The story features monster ticket collectors and real ghosts driving the train. Their adventure lasts all night and they return home at four in the morning. As they return home they are scared by a screaming baby which makes them race back and hide under the bed in the dark cellar.
Looking at this book from purely an enjoyment point of view, it is full of humour. One can’t but help laugh at the skeletons being scared of the baby especially as young children, generally speaking, are likely to think that ghosts and monsters are far scarier. However, the authors depiction of what is scary is completely turned on its head in a very amusing fashion.
From an educational point of view, the story is rich with language tools. The story is full of alliteration, repetition, verbs, adjectives and it is almost poetic in its use of language. Furthermore, the style in which it has been written lends itself brilliantly to reading aloud as the intonation, volume and sound makes for a very enjoyable and engaging reading experience.
It also touches on mathematics as it refers to sizes, the time and numbers.
A wonderful and good fun read!
This book is another opportunity to re-visit an all time favourite children’s story book of mine. I remember first being introduced to Allan Ahlberg back in primary school when I came across the book he had produced with his wife, “The Jolly Christmas Postman”; an amazing book full of creativity and excitement. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on that book but in searching for it at my local library I came across another one of my favourites by Allan Ahlberg which is the subject of this review.
This story revolves around an adventure undertaken by three skeletons embarking on a night time ride on a ghost train. The story features monster ticket collectors and real ghosts driving the train. Their adventure lasts all night and they return home at four in the morning. As they return home they are scared by a screaming baby which makes them race back and hide under the bed in the dark cellar.
Looking at this book from purely an enjoyment point of view, it is full of humour. One can’t but help laugh at the skeletons being scared of the baby especially as young children, generally speaking, are likely to think that ghosts and monsters are far scarier. However, the authors depiction of what is scary is completely turned on its head in a very amusing fashion.
From an educational point of view, the story is rich with language tools. The story is full of alliteration, repetition, verbs, adjectives and it is almost poetic in its use of language. Furthermore, the style in which it has been written lends itself brilliantly to reading aloud as the intonation, volume and sound makes for a very enjoyable and engaging reading experience.
It also touches on mathematics as it refers to sizes, the time and numbers.
A wonderful and good fun read!
January 26, 2024
On a dark dark hill there is a dark dark town. In the dark dark town there is a dark dark street. Down the dark dark street there is a dark dark station. And in the dark dark station there is a ghost train.
Funnybones and these sister books were a big part of my childhood. Finding them again has brought a smile to my face and memories flooding back.
This story sees the skeletal family taking a ghost train for a day trip to the seaside. Fun and adventure awaits! Lots of laughs. 4 stars.
Funnybones and these sister books were a big part of my childhood. Finding them again has brought a smile to my face and memories flooding back.
This story sees the skeletal family taking a ghost train for a day trip to the seaside. Fun and adventure awaits! Lots of laughs. 4 stars.
October 26, 2022
I remember reading this one with my little sis as a kid and now I'm reading it with her son.
It's a lovely tale of two friendly skeletons going on a train ride late at night and the adventures they have, all with a spooky slant.
A lot of fun, cute story and illustrations and brought back a lot of memories.
It's a lovely tale of two friendly skeletons going on a train ride late at night and the adventures they have, all with a spooky slant.
A lot of fun, cute story and illustrations and brought back a lot of memories.
August 2, 2019
Fantastic book loved it when I was wee and now my toddler loves it too
May 13, 2024
Cute Halloween book and great book to work on different voices !
September 7, 2013
I was so pleased to come across this funny bones book as I remember thoroughly enjoying reading several of them when I was at primary school. In this story the funny bones – big skeleton, little skeleton and dog skeleton decide to go out for a ride on the ghost train. As the night goes on they come across a ghost town in which they have fun with the ghosts. They then go along to a monsters’ beauty parade and make friends with some monsters. The bell tolls 4am and the skeletons rush back home but cannot refrain from taking a sneaky peep into some windows. Well, that is until a baby cries leaving the terrified skeletons to run home as fast as they can back into their ‘dark dark cellar’…
This book was a delightful trip down memory lane for me and a pleasure to read now as it was many many years ago! With bright and fun illustrations I’d say this book is most appropriate for juniors (8+) though the constant use of repetition could make it an entertaining ‘read out aloud’ book for younger children. It could be used in a classroom setting to introduce language skills (repetition) or as a literature task where children can try and think up of a new adventure for the funny bones.
This book was a delightful trip down memory lane for me and a pleasure to read now as it was many many years ago! With bright and fun illustrations I’d say this book is most appropriate for juniors (8+) though the constant use of repetition could make it an entertaining ‘read out aloud’ book for younger children. It could be used in a classroom setting to introduce language skills (repetition) or as a literature task where children can try and think up of a new adventure for the funny bones.
October 30, 2012
On a dark dark hill
there is a dark dark town.
In the dark dark town
there is a dark dark street
down the dark dark street
there lives a small small boy
And in his small small hands there is a funny funny book…………
Trick or treat? Definite treat!
Picking a funny book from my childhood was a hard task, not in that it was hard to pick a book, but in that it was hard to pick which title in the Funnybones series.
Big skeleton, little skeleton and the dog skeleton never fail to bring a smile to my face. I’m sat in my front room with a pumpkin burning bright reading this very book right now. It still has me in stitches.
I picked the ghost train simply because it’s Halloween and it seemed as good as reason as any, I could have picked any one of the series and known it would have stood the test of time and still entertain me like it did so many moons ago.
Read this book if you dare (laugh yourself to death that is) ………. Happy Halloween.
there is a dark dark town.
In the dark dark town
there is a dark dark street
down the dark dark street
there lives a small small boy
And in his small small hands there is a funny funny book…………
Trick or treat? Definite treat!
Picking a funny book from my childhood was a hard task, not in that it was hard to pick a book, but in that it was hard to pick which title in the Funnybones series.
Big skeleton, little skeleton and the dog skeleton never fail to bring a smile to my face. I’m sat in my front room with a pumpkin burning bright reading this very book right now. It still has me in stitches.
I picked the ghost train simply because it’s Halloween and it seemed as good as reason as any, I could have picked any one of the series and known it would have stood the test of time and still entertain me like it did so many moons ago.
Read this book if you dare (laugh yourself to death that is) ………. Happy Halloween.
September 6, 2019
This is a fun night out trip by train to the ghostly coast with the Funnybones crew. As always the illustrations are on point.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews