The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo!

July 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 1-An adorable little ghost is all set for a night of frightening those around her when she discovers that she has lost her "boo!" Her mother consoles her and says that perhaps her fright nights are over, but the little specter will not hear of it. What follows is a charming romp as she flies throughout the forest looking everywhere for what has gone missing. She hears an owl hooting but of course it "wasn't a BOO, but a WHOO-WHOO-WHOO." Each failed encounter, from a pigeon to a rooster to a cow, subtly but beautifully changes the colors in the illustrations from dark blues and blacks to brighter and lighter shades as the sun begins to rise. Just as all seems lost, the little ghost looks up and sees the reader. With a heartfelt plea for readers to shout out "BOO!" all is fixed and the ghost is restored to her former glory. VERDICT Recommended for purchase; Bickell and McGrath have created an endearing read-aloud that hits all the right notes, with clever rhyming text that invites audience participation.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
What can a ghost do when she's lost her boo? Little Ghost has a dilemma. Attempting to frighten an unsuspecting human (who presents White), she finds to her dismay that, instead of her signature sound, only "a rush of cold air" escapes her mouth. Mama Ghost sympathizes but fears her child's "fright nights are done." Not one to give up easily, Little Ghost launches a search. She encounters her friends Owl, Pigeon, and Rooster, whose sounds are all similar to "Boo"; unable to join Little Ghost in her search for her boo, they offer to lend her their cries. She declines, explaining that, while the calls are perfect for them, they aren't as scary as hers. She finally heads home, despondent, and meets another pal whose voice resembles her own. In an unexpected concluding twist, Little Ghost locates the friend she most needs, the one who will assuredly help reclaim her boo-tiful sound. This cute but thin rhyming New Zealand import will appeal to ghost fans; they'll definitely want to comply--loudly--with the final instruction. The jaunty rhyming couplets mostly succeed but are sometimes awkward. Illustrations and white text type pop against saturated turquoise backgrounds. Occasionally, certain words and onomatopoeic sounds, such as the animals' calls, are capitalized and appear in display type for dramatic effect. Chubby Little Ghost is amorphous, winsome, and wide eyed. Her pals have a bright, folk art-y appearance. In time for Halloween, a BOO-k about a ghost that young readers will enjoy. (Picture book. 3-6)

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August 17, 2020
After losing her “boo” when trying to engage in a scare, Little Ghost asks for assistance from animals whose utterances sound auspiciously familiar. She’s optimistic when she hears a “whoo-whoo-whoo,” but then discovers its source: “Oh Owl, it’s you!/ I wonder, can you help me?/ I’m looking for my boo.” The empathic bird offers to lend her his sound, but since “it’s just not as scary as my ghostly boo,”she instead turns to a cooing pigeon, a crowing rooster, and a mooing cow, each of which makes a similarly generous offer. With effectively repetitious, lilting verse, Bickell underscores the ghost’s hopefulness and determination before entreating readers’ help to bring this gentle friendship story to an uplifting close. McGrath humorously portrays Little Ghost as a round creature with large, expressive eyes, whose simplicity offers a striking contrast to the detailed depictions of her intricately patterned animal pals. Ages 4–8.