Par une belle matinée d'octobre, Violette remarque d'étranges phénomènes... Les objets se déplacent, certains même disparaissent. Y aurait-il un esprit malin dans la maison ? Pas pour violette, ah ça, non ? Car tout le monde le sait, les fantômes,ça n'existe pas !
First of all, apparently this book is rather hard to find and expensive. I am grateful I was able to get a copy from our library district. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Four stars for me for story and illustrations plus a bonus point for the seek-and-find aspect which I feel was really cleverly done. However, I honestly don't think it's amazing to the point of paying $25-$50 a copy used. Now, as for my review, this was such a delightful surprise of a Halloween book. I wasn't expecting the seek-and-find aspect and I absolutely loved how it connected with the theme of the book -- that you see what you are looking for. The little girl in the book is skeptical about ghosts ("No Such Thing!") and, when she looks for explanations of the strange things happening around the house she sees the everyday explanations (the dog is sneaking food, the cat is knocking stuff over, her little brother drew on the wall, a crow stole the laundry off the line) rather than the paranormal ones (that ghosts are doing it!) The seek-and-find aspect is that the ghosts are hiding in all the illustrations. So, you can see the obvious (the cat, the dog, the squirrel etc.) but then you look for the ghosts. The final illustration makes it pretty clear that ghosts really are playing around in the little girl's house, but they are more scamp than scary. That said, I could imagine that for some children who are in the phase of feeling very worried about scary (imagined) things that go bump in the night, this book would be disconcerting. The rhyme scheme is perhaps tad clunky at times, but overall my children and I found this really good fun.
Oh gosh this was so cute!! Very sweet little story about believing in things you can't see. The rhymes all worked, were descriptive, but also the cadence was easy to follow and natural. And then oh my goodness! The squee-with-delight illustrations! Not only are they whimsical and beautiful and charming, but there's a delightful hidden picture element that had my inner child grinning with glee! A definite must read (especially for those seeking a not-too-spooky Halloween read).
This was a different take on Halloween ghosts. Instead of trying to convince kids that there is no such thing as ghosts, this story proves that even though there are logical explanations for the strange happenings around Georgia's house, there are ghosts behind them after all. A book like this might have upset me as a kid, but I want to keep it in mind for my three-year-old this coming Halloween, since she is a complete skeptic and would probably remain convinced that ghosts are not real. I also really like the artwork and the "seek and find" concept, where a ghost can be found on every page.
Georgia begins to notice weird things happening around the house, but she doesn't believe that its Ghosts. After all, there's no such thing....or is there?
In this cute picture book, we see all the mishaps that Georgia is bent on debunking.
Ella Bailey did write and illustrate the book, but the illustrations just didn't do it for me. The finality of the storyline also left something to be desired though I don't know quite what that is. However, the search for finding all of the "ghosts" of the book makes this book feel more like a "Where's waldo" situation.
No Such Thing (2022) by Ella bailey is a fun book about a girl named Georgia who is trying to discover who is messing around with things around the house. Told in rhyming verse this is a quick and fun and richly illustrated story. Good for reading aloud and with a certain Halloween touch to it that makes it more joyful during the autumn months. My rating - 3/5
This was a lovely picturebook read by Ella Bailey who has gone on to produce even better work. The story is simple as we follow a little girl around her house solving the reason why things go missing. Unlike most of her peers, she does not believe in the supernatural so blames the mysterious happenings on her family and pets.
The draw for the younger reader though is the beautiful illustrations and the cheeky little ghosts hidden on each page causing mischief of one kind and another! The only reason I did not rate this higher is the narrative. Bailey has kept a rhyming refrain up throughout but the rhythm and pace doesn't work for me. However what we have here is a great illustrator and storyteller who is going to go on to great things.
From an adult’s perspective, this book would 100% receive 5 stars. The illustrations are so charming! And I love the hidden ghosts on each page. I can see how it would be fun to read with children and spot the ghosts throughout the book.
However, for children, I have to rate this only 3 stars as I’m not sure I like how the ending suggests there are ghosts despite Georgia’s skepticism. Seems that it would be upsetting to some children, causing them to wonder if there really are ghosts even when there’s a logical explanation for happenings.
Still, it’s a cute book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Ok, so I sought this book out through ILL after seeing it on shelf after shelf of Insta-moms. It seemed to be a must-have for that set for their Halloween book displays at home, and I was intrigued. ZERO copies in my entire local library system, little odd as it published in 2014. One would think there would be at least one copy. Checked Amazon. Its out of print, with copies being sold 2nd hand for HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS?! What? How amazing could this book be?
So thankful I was able to get it through ILL. And my take? Its cute? (Little girl investigates the odd goings-on, sure that their is a logical, non-paranormal answer (while the reader can spot the ghost causing mischief on every page) )
But *seriously* not worth that much (especially if you are buying it for appearances sake online...). I've seen rumors of a reprinting, which would make a lot of sense for the publisher given its popularity on social media (literally have seen parents say they're going to ask their libraries if they can buy their copies off them... and I doubt they're cluing their children's librarian in to its cult status & price).
This is the perfect read aloud for your little ones as Halloween fast approaches! Haven't we all heard that scary creak in the attic or found our book or cup or sock somewhere we're pretty sure we didn't live it? Well, Georgia knows there's NO SUCH THING as ghosts, and sets out to prove there's nothing ghoulish in her home. In fact, it's probably just her cat! Or maybe her brother? But hidden across each gorgeously illustrated and intricate spread are hidden details that hint to something spooktacular that will have readers turning back to see what they missed the first time around. With a beautiful retro-art palette and humorous rhymes, this book brims with mischief and whimsy.
Georgia is a scientific sleuth and she ain't afraid of no ghosts. She is able to rationally deduce that her house is not haunted. It's only the work of the cat, a spider, etc. So there is nothing to fear! Right? Well, reader, the ilustrations are proof that Georgia's deductions are wrong! For her house is indeed haunted by playful ghosts!
The retro-style illustrations and the hidden ghosts on every page are a charm! Kids and adults alike will get a big laugh out of this one and enjoy being in on the joke. Perfect for 1st to 3rd grade. My only gripe is that the text is a bit distracting but this is a vey wonderful book for the Halloween season
This one didn't really do it for me and at the time I took it out of the library my kid was having a lot of bad dreams, so I didn't want to push a book about spooky creatures onto her - we read it once but not again. It's cute though, so I think I'll return to it at a future halloween. But overall it just didn't really stand out this time around.
An adorable Halloween themed picture book that helps explain away all the scary things that might happen during the spooky time of year. The story is easy to read and understandable for toddlers. The pictures are adorable with hidden images on every page and lots to talk about and find with your toddler. 5 stars
I really like this book. I am disappointed that it is out of print. I just really liked The whimsical artwork and looking for the ghosts was so much fun. This is the perfect book to read with a child on each side of you and one on your lap.
As soon as I saw the art style and color palette selected for the cover, I knew I would enjoy the illustrations throughout the entire book. It was a perfect mix of stimulating visual art and funny rhymes. Definitely recommend for little ones and their adults!
About the cutest ghosts ever messing around doing their ghostly thing while a little girl tries to convince herself that they are not there. Loved how the little ghosties were hidden everywhere.