Sir Simon: Super Scarer

by Cale Atkinson

Overview

A delightful, funny story of friendship, ghost chores, a spooky house and a professional haunter.

Meet Sir Simon, Super Scarer. He's a professional ghost who has been transferred to his first house. And just in time! He was getting tired of haunting bus stops and forests and potatoes. And to top it off, this house is occupied by an old lady — they're the easiest to haunt!

But things don't go as planned when it turns out a KID comes with this old lady. Chester spots Simon immediately and peppers him with questions. Simon is exasperated. . . until he realizes he can trick Chester into doing his ghost chores. Spooky sounds, footsteps in the attic, creaks on the stairs — these things don't happen on their own, you know!

After a long night of haunting, it seems that maybe Chester isn't cut out to be a ghost, so Simon decides to help with Chester's human chores. Turns out Simon isn't cut out for human chores either.

But maybe they're both cut out to be friends . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101919095
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	09/04/2018
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

CALE ATKINSON is an illustrator and animator living lakeside with his family in Kelowna, British Columbia. Believing in tea more than sleep, Cale is constantly working on numerous projects. His work can be found in children's books, including Where Oliver Fits, which he also wrote and illustrated, animated shorts, television and games. He has never haunted a potato.

Editorial Reviews

07/02/2018
Sir Simon Spookington has haunted a boat, a bus stop, and a pizza pie, among other spots. His transfer to a new haunting residence, his first house, is complicated by the arrival of Chester, a brown-skinned child who is thrilled by Sir Simon’s presence and yearns to “be a ghost with you.” Simon ropes Chester into doing his varied haunting tasks by touting them as privileges, Tom Sawyer–style: “First chore, er, I mean activity, is spooky animal sounds!” But Chester isn’t so good at haunting, and Simon becomes uneasy about his trickery. Photographs in the boy’s room create empathy within Simon (“Looks like Chester gets transferred a lot, just like me”), and he repents the next day, offering to share Chester’s chores. Detailed art by Atkinson (Where Oliver Fits) mirrors the story’s energy through architectural cross-sections and explanatory diagrams. Part snarky comedy, part feel-good tale, the book offers enough laughs to be a solid readaloud, and its lack of scary moments makes it a good choice for kids who prefer their ghost stories scream-free.Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 2018-07-16
A "Super Scarer / Ghostest with the mostest" (according to his business card) learns a bit about being a ghost…and about being a human.Sir Simon has haunted all sorts of things, from a bus stop to a potato, but he's just gotten his first haunted house assignment, which means he'll have "Ghost chores" to do: stair creaking, toilet flushing, attic stomping, etc. But when the expected elderly couple ("PRO: Sleep all the time / CON: None!") turn out to be a grandmother and her grandson ("KIDS / PRO: None! / CON: Too curious"), can Simon survive the kid's inquisitiveness? If it means getting out of chores, sure. But it turns out that Chester (hysterically!) isn't so good at ghostly chores. And when Simon feels a bit of empathy for Chester, whose parents are separated, and he voluntarily helps Chester with the boy's chores, Simon is just as bad (and funny) at "human chores." But both are very good at being each other's friend. Simon is one very expressive ghost, managing with just the basic facial features and two tiny arms to convey everything from frustration to deviousness. Speech bubbles and illustrations that range from double-page spreads all the way down to vignettes—with some very funny cross-sections—help break up the somewhat lengthy tale, though there's enough detail in the pictures (made with "Ghost toots and Photoshop") to keep readers riveted. Chester and his grandmother both have brown skin. Friendship makes the chores (and everything else) more fun. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

One of CCBC’S Best Books for Kids & Teens (Spring 2019)

PRAISE FOR Sir Simon: Super Scarer: 

“Part snarky comedy, part feel-good tale, the book offers enough laughs to be a solid readaloud, and its lack of scary moments makes it a good choice for kids who prefer their ghost stories screamfree.” —Publishers Weekly

“A sweet and silly Halloween pick!” —Booklist

“[T]here’s enough detail in the pictures (made with “Ghost toots and Photoshop”) to keep readers riveted.” —Starred review, Kirkus

“[R]eaders will get an insider’s peek at how not scary ghosts really are. In fact, they are hilarious!” —CM Magazine

From the Publisher