Ready, Steady, Ghost!

PreS-Gr 1—Gilbert doesn't feel ready to "haunt somewhere huge." While searching the woods at night for a small "cozy house" to haunt, he predictably encounters other spooky creatures, including a wolf, a snake, and a dragon. Gilbert finally finds what he thinks is a house, but it turns out to be a castle, which is much too big and scary for the timid ghost—until he finds a miniature castle in the attic complete with a tiny king and queen who are coincidentally looking for a ghost to haunt their tiny turrets. While the illustrations, done in black, shades of blue, and orange, are just right for a ghost story aimed at a preschool audience, the story concept isn't unique and the castle-within-a castle solution is an odd ending to Gilbert's journey. The book will appeal to those who enjoy the not-so-spooky-little-ghost story line, but most can pass on this one without so much as a "shiver-me, shake-me."—Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH