Oh No, Not Ghosts!

by Richard Michelson, Adam McCauley (Illustrator)

Shhhhh! Dad said not to make a peep, so that he could get some sleep. But what if something is wriggling, sniggling, and slithering in the shadows? And did that floorboard just creeeeeak ? Each ghoulish possibility seems worse than the last, until--what was that? Oh no, not . . . !

Richard Michelson’s zinging rhymes and Adam McCauley’s moonlit illustrations will transport readers beyond the bedroom walls to a magical nighttime world where imagination rules.

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens, Monsters, Holiday, Storytime

44 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[Set · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a cute story of a brother spooking his sister with scary Halloween characters. He tells her of one monster being afraid of another and chases one by one with the tale of the other. But who is the most frightening of them all? The illustrations are kiddish and creepy.

[Jonathan Peto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to my 5 year old. The marvelous illustrations are a great addition to the text. The illustrator, Adam McCauley, had a lot of fun with the layout, arranging the two main characters, a sister and brother, in a multitude of settings and angles, practically turning them into a sort of motif. His muted colors suit the mood. The text is a sort of poem with rhyme, repetition, and onomatopeia, something I am almost always happy to encounter in the text of a picture book. The story cleverly cycles through a number of scary creatures, such as ghosts, werewolves, skeletons, and witches. I welcomed the variety. My daughter immediately caught on to, and enjoyed, the repetition. I am sure she'll enjoy hearing the book again!

[Vayda Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun book to read together. It had good rhyming and spooky illustrations. Just right for Halloween time.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this at a Halloween event, and it was a hit. Both funny and a bit creepy, especially the pictures.

[JustOneMoreBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever evolutionary requirement is served by the fiendish delight we derive from teasing — or terrifying — our siblings is served, without the damage, by this fabulous book. Its spooky, stylized illustrations and rhyming text are a great substitute for the terrorizing we don’t let our girls do.

Listen to our chat about this book on our JustOneMoreBook.com Children's Book Podcast:

http://www.justonemorebook.com/2006/1...

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brother and sister are supposed to be sleeping; especially since their father is trying to sleep. But then a strange noise starts up and creeps out the little sister. So big brother tries to reassure her that it's not ghosts, werewolves, giants, demons, witches or skeletons. What does scare them silly is there father, awake, lurking in the doorway...

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the rhythm of this story because it was fun and easy to follow. Who is the scariest monster of all? There are lots of different ones introduced in this book by the older brother...doing a great job of making his little sister get scared! The pictures are fabulous, and the repetition is great for children.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big brother tries to calm his little sister's fears but accidentally keeps scaring her instead!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun picture book where brother, while trying to allay his little sister's fears, makes things worse.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute picture book! A fun read for the Halloween season.

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this one, many different types of Halloween monsters are introduced, then dismissed as not scary for some reason or another. A great example of patterns in children's books.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a lot of lame Halloween books from the library this week but this one is cute.

[Merita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. My 7, 5 and 4 year old really enjoyed it.

[Heather Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story with some great spooky elements. Fun for Halloween with great illustrations.