Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kahara

Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara

Rating: 5 spooky stars

We live in too rural an area to go trick or treating ("C'mon, kids, just five more minutes until we get to the next house!  You can make it for one more piece of candy!") so we drive over to my sister's house.  Our three plus their four make an instant pack, the kind of pack of kids that makes Halloween Halloween.  Last night they zoomed from house to house, excited for a piece of candy, running and laughing wildly at each other and with each other.

Lorelei and Ben, and of course Kiefer, are still happy with the lower range on the spook-o-meter.  It's a funny balance, finding books and stories and shows that are just spooky enough for them.  I'm happy that I didn't go overboard, because my sleep is interrupted enough.

This book, from the kids' beloved Grammy, is a perfect example of a barely spooky, but very cute book.

Here's a little story of a girl who moves into a new house.  But the girl wasn't a normal girl--she was a witch! And the house wasn't a normal house--it was haunted!  She isn't worried about cohabiting with ghosts because she knew how to catch them, which she promptly does.  And then washes them!

Who knew ghosts were dirty, and that you could pop them into a front-loader to rectify the situation?!

She makes curtains--smiley ones--with most of the ghosts, and a tablecloth and blanket with others.  She uses the last two to tuck her cat and herself in at night.

She knew how to catch ghosts.  "How lovely," she said.  "I hope there are some more!"  And there were.

The artwork in the book is one of the reasons I love the book.  One blogger was inspired to do her own cut-out activity with her kids...check it out here.  (I think I'll have to wait a few years until I bust out the X-acto knife with my trio.)  This book is a great one--for next year, as I'm a little late to inform  you of its wonderful-ness for this Halloween.  But, c'mon, we both know that you have extra candy sitting around that you'll be munching on after bedtime, so you might has well have this book around to join you.