Hardly Haunted

by Jessie Sima, Jessie Sima (Illustrator)

Overview

From the bestselling creator of Not Quite Narwhal comes a delightfully spooky story about an old house who wants to be a home...even if her new family isn’t what she expected.

House has a problem.

She’s a little spooky. She’s a little cobwebby. Oh, no! What if she’s haunted?

She’s not sure, but...her hinges creak. Her pipes bang. And on windy days, the branches scritch-scratch at her windows. She tries to hold her breath and be as still as possible. If she’s on her best behavior, maybe a family will move in.

How will House ever find a family that doesn’t mind being haunted?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534441705
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	07/20/2021
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD450L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jessie Sima is the author and illustrator of bestselling picture books, including Not Quite Narwhal; Love, Z; Hardly Haunted; and more. They grew up in a small town in southern New Jersey and now write and draw in a creaky house in New York state. When not making books, Jessie can be found reading graphic novels, watching scary movies, and playing outside with dogs. You can visit them online at JessieSima.com.

Jessie Sima is the author and illustrator of bestselling picture books, including Not Quite Narwhal; Love, Z; Hardly Haunted; and more. They grew up in a small town in southern New Jersey and now write and draw in a creaky house in New York state. When not making books, Jessie can be found reading graphic novels, watching scary movies, and playing outside with dogs. You can visit them online at JessieSima.com.

Editorial Reviews

Sima’s text is more sweet than spooky, complemented by the digital illustrations’ cool palette of purples, blues, and greens. Various sounds to read aloud and visual details to pore over (the anthropomorphic house’s expressions, the ever-present black cat) will surely lead to repeat readings.

Horn Book Magazine

Digital illustrations predominately in purples and gold provide a soft, spooky atmosphere to give the dwelling character. This is just right for a Halloween story hour, and children will enjoy repeating the spooky sounds on every page.

Booklist

2021-07-14
What could be worse for a house than to be haunted? Unless….

“There was a house on a hill, and that house was worried.” Overgrown with vines and frequented by a curious black cat, the abandoned abode fears that she will remain unoccupied because of her eerie countenance. Supplying the house with rounded, third-story windows and exterior molding that shift to express emotions, Sima takes readers through a tour of the house’s ominous interior. At first, the enchanted homestead tries to suppress her creaky walls, squeaky stairs, and rattling pipes. Despite all efforts to keep “VERY still. And VERY quiet. And VERY calm,” the house comes to find that being a rather creepy residence might actually be fun. The realization dawns on the decrepit dwelling with both relief and joy: “She liked being noisy. Maybe she liked being haunted.” Once the house embraces herself for who she is, the plot moves in a pleasant yet predictable direction: A cheerful family of ghosts loves the house in all her noisy glory and decides to move in. Sima’s lighthearted, cartoony style and cozy palette disarm the book of any frightening elements. The gentle, upbeat vibe makes it a fair choice to remind kids that their differences from others are the key to their belonging. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A cute, Halloween-y take on the old dare-to-be-you moral. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews