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The Haunted Ghoul Bus
Of course children know about the big yellow school bus…but have they ever heard about the haunted ghoul bus? It’s wilder and way cooler, with a Mutant Mummy driver and a menagerie of monster passengers. But one Halloween
day someone else gets on board by mistake: a normal little boy. Soon he’s taking a ride with a furry werewolf, a skeleton whose rickety bones go clitter-clatter, a grinning pumpkin head, a swirl of bats, and a friendly witch named Dolores.
Told in fun and appealing rhyme, and featuring holiday-bright illustrations of a cast of unforgettable characters, this playful picture book has sturdy cardstock pages and embossing throughout. It’s perfect for celebrating a (not too) scary Halloween.
Kids will want the ghoul bus to come to their neighborhood, too!
day someone else gets on board by mistake: a normal little boy. Soon he’s taking a ride with a furry werewolf, a skeleton whose rickety bones go clitter-clatter, a grinning pumpkin head, a swirl of bats, and a friendly witch named Dolores.
Told in fun and appealing rhyme, and featuring holiday-bright illustrations of a cast of unforgettable characters, this playful picture book has sturdy cardstock pages and embossing throughout. It’s perfect for celebrating a (not too) scary Halloween.
Kids will want the ghoul bus to come to their neighborhood, too!
26 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2008
1 person is currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Trumbauer
305 books9 followersLisa Trumbauer has written early-learner books for Scholastic's Jump Start series and published numerous other activity books, picture books, and novels for middle-school readers, including the New York Times bestseller A Practical Guide to Dragons.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 13, 2024
The Haunted Ghoul Bus is a part of my classroom library and a fun book for Halloween.
A young boy gets on The Haunted Ghoul Bus by mistake and takes a ride to the Haunted Ghoul School with a group of scary Halloween characters. He has a good time until they reach the Haunted Ghoul School and they sent him back to his regular school. The rhyme is very good and this is a non-scary Halloween story appropriate for young children.
A young boy gets on The Haunted Ghoul Bus by mistake and takes a ride to the Haunted Ghoul School with a group of scary Halloween characters. He has a good time until they reach the Haunted Ghoul School and they sent him back to his regular school. The rhyme is very good and this is a non-scary Halloween story appropriate for young children.
October 12, 2017
A book with a Halloween theme, rhyming words, and fun pictures is sure to attract readers once during the month of October. This is pretty cute, and I enjoyed reading through this with a small group of students. It was easy to read for them and it generated some excitement in looking through the pictures.
April 8, 2018
Entertaining and funny, my 4yo LOVES this book and we have read it TWELVE times in a weeks. Not scary but “fun scary” for littles.
“The jack-o-lantern head full of worms is the most disgusting thing ever and I like it!” - V, age 4
“The jack-o-lantern head full of worms is the most disgusting thing ever and I like it!” - V, age 4
May 20, 2021
This is one of m most favorite reads for elementary kids. I have a lot of fun reading it when I am dressed like a witch. I read this one a lot. I usually pack up all the Halloween books. It's May and this one is still out. Peter loves it.
October 22, 2021
Cute Halloween story about a child who gets on the "ghoul bus" instead of the school bus! He rides with witches, mummies, monsters, and more! Fun illustrations as well. A delightful story for early grades!
October 15, 2022
While I don't find this book overly compelling - my 6 year old and I have read it about 30x together so far since getting it earlier in the week. If you have a 6 year old, based on what I have seen, they will love it!
December 6, 2022
My kids really didn't enjoy this story and at times the rhyming was off so it was more difficult to keep their attention than it should have been. Overall, the story concept was okay but the execution left the reader wanting. Not one of the better Halloween books.
October 27, 2017
Fun concept, great execution, well done!
October 29, 2019
Fun. I think kids would love this book.
September 30, 2023
A boy catches the ghoul bus instead of the school bus and sees many creepy creatures.
December 9, 2025
4.5 another fun Halloween book that brpught back mwmories even though it was the forst time reading it.
My mom used to have a collection of holiday picture books that she would bring out to share every holiday. i shpuld do that.
My mom used to have a collection of holiday picture books that she would bring out to share every holiday. i shpuld do that.
November 8, 2014
Horn Book (Spring 2009)
In this entertaining Halloween-themed story, a boy mistakenly boards a bus filled with a ghoulish cast of characters, including a mutant mummy driver, a pumpkin head, and a witch named Dolores. Bright, playful digital illustrations and zippy rhyming text bring this wild ride to life. The embossed cardstock pages will stand up to repeat readings long after Halloween is over.
School Library Journal (November 1, 2008)
K-Gr 2-Although the concept of a boy who mistakenly gets on a school bus for spooks is fun, the rhyming text is trite and uninspired: "A blockhead MONSTER stomped inside/and someone called, 'Hey Rufus!'/A swirl of BATS flew through the door-/I jumped just like a doofus." Ho's computer-generated art depicts the cartoon Halloween creatures as a laughing, nonthreatening group. The boy looks uncomfortable when he first notices that he is surrounded by assorted monsters, but joins in their smiles when he realizes it's just Halloween fun. The text swooshes in a wavy pattern that matches the singsong rhythm of the verses. A few words in each stanza are in a larger font and/or are in color, but they do not necessarily serve as a guide to help readers know which words to stress when reading the book aloud. The purple background scenes inside the bus add a touch of spooky night, while bats, worms, and other jolly crawlies haunt the pages. With all the great Halloween books currently available, this book is a marginal addition at best.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
In this entertaining Halloween-themed story, a boy mistakenly boards a bus filled with a ghoulish cast of characters, including a mutant mummy driver, a pumpkin head, and a witch named Dolores. Bright, playful digital illustrations and zippy rhyming text bring this wild ride to life. The embossed cardstock pages will stand up to repeat readings long after Halloween is over.
School Library Journal (November 1, 2008)
K-Gr 2-Although the concept of a boy who mistakenly gets on a school bus for spooks is fun, the rhyming text is trite and uninspired: "A blockhead MONSTER stomped inside/and someone called, 'Hey Rufus!'/A swirl of BATS flew through the door-/I jumped just like a doofus." Ho's computer-generated art depicts the cartoon Halloween creatures as a laughing, nonthreatening group. The boy looks uncomfortable when he first notices that he is surrounded by assorted monsters, but joins in their smiles when he realizes it's just Halloween fun. The text swooshes in a wavy pattern that matches the singsong rhythm of the verses. A few words in each stanza are in a larger font and/or are in color, but they do not necessarily serve as a guide to help readers know which words to stress when reading the book aloud. The purple background scenes inside the bus add a touch of spooky night, while bats, worms, and other jolly crawlies haunt the pages. With all the great Halloween books currently available, this book is a marginal addition at best.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2009
I got this book last year. It is one of my favorite books to read when I go to the school and read to the children. The pictures are fabulous and it rhymes, and there are lots of opportunities to do different voices.
September 22, 2012
Two things I liked about this book: 1. It was a great rhyming book, 2. The monsters weren't too scary for the little ones. On the whole this book was just ok. It is a funny idea to think of Monsters going to "Ghoul School". Good story time book.
December 12, 2012
This is such a fun Halloween story! I love how the illustrations were supportive of the text but also could tell a story all on their own. I would recommend this story for preschool to about fifth grade.
October 3, 2013
Just when you think a bus full of Monsters is going to be scary, guess again. This is such a cute book the rhyming words make this a fun read and the illustrations are fantastic . It's one of my sons favorites halloween read we have to read it every year and even in between. :)
October 20, 2008
Nice Halloween book, great art.
September 26, 2010
This is a nice Halloween story set in rhyme. Most of the rhymes are well written although some do not follow the pattern and are a little forced. Its very clever and has a nice theme.
October 12, 2010
Awkward rhyming but fun halloween story.
June 18, 2013
This has been my daughter's favorite book for 2 years (she's now 4-and-a-half). It's silly and fun. Great illustrations and typography.
July 9, 2013
kids book :(
October 8, 2014
Really cute
October 4, 2016
Nothing scary on this bus, just friendly Halloween characters. Mild rhyming verse with cutesy illustrations.
September 18, 2013
such a cute, fun book.... one of my new Halloween favorites!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews