We Are Already Haunting Here! by Gideon Sterer

Today's read heads into the paranormal realm and visits a ghost...or rather, a ghost who is underway trying to find a place to haunt. I have a feeling that this ghost is going to have a very tough time finding its home. The cover is making that pretty clear. Oh, but I love the ghost's hat and his little suitcase. I'm going out on a limb and betting this one has to do with finding friends or being nice to others. What do you think?

Anyway, I'm hoping it's fun and will have me wanting to help the ghost by the end but with a warming round-off on that last page. Let's see if this book accomplishes that or not!

 

WE ARE ALREADY HAUNTING HERE!

by Gideon Sterer

Illustrated by Charlie Mylie

Union Square Kids

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING JULY 15th!!!

This adorable Halloween story celebrates finding one’s place in the world and making space for others, perfect for fans of Flavia Z. Drago’s The World of Gustavo series.

A little ghost sets out into the world to find a place of his own to haunt, but it’s not so easy! Every place he goes is already haunted by someone else. He perseveres and finally finds it—a dusty, creaky home, perfect for haunting. But then he hears a knock at the door. It’s another little ghost in need of a place to roam. Will he scare the other ghost away or make room for a new friend?

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Get ready to have those heart-strings plunked because this little ghost will have readers routing for him until the very end.

A ghost isn't a ghost until it finds a place to haunt, so this little guy is off to find his place to claim. He's worried he might not be any good at spooking, but this becomes a side-question as each spot he visits is already haunted...and the ghosts want him to scram. Even when the ghost opens himself up to every possibility, nothing seems to be available. Soon, this ghost wonders if he's really a ghost at all.

This is an adorable, simple tale, which draws in and has readers wondering what will happen next. The text is kept short, making it wonderful as a read-aloud even for listeners who have a little less patience. The illustrations aren't bright and bold, which fits the atmosphere and let the ghost's predicament come across clearly while offering just the right amount of curiosity and very slight edge of humor to make it hard to ignore each page. 

With every turn of the page, the hope that the ghost might find his place mounts, although it's still clear that things probably won't get better easily. When everything takes a twist, it's done with a sense of warmth, a tiny bit of surprise, and puts a smile on the face. But to keep things interesting, the author builds in one last surprise at the end to add extra goodness.

This is a fun read with a ghost to adore.

And here they are...

Gideon Sterer is a New York Times bestselling author who grew up in the woods of upstate New York. Not too far away, his parents owned a wildlife discovery center where he would run around after hours and let the animals out. Currently, he lives in the Hudson Valley with his family.

Charlie Mylie is an author and illustrator who has created several books for children. What feels like a lifetime ago, he spent time traveling across the country as Pop Charlie, dressed in a conical gold hat, creating watercolor illustrations on the spot. Charlie also contributed to bringing the Rabbit hOle, an immersive children’s literature museum in Kansas City, to life. Now, he continues to collaborate by creating books with Gideon Sterer and other authors. Charlie haunts Kansas City with his wife, son, and a spooky black cat named Babs.