So Not Ghoul

by Karen Yin, Bonnie Lui (Illustrator)

Overview

On her first day haunting a new school, all Mimi has to wear are old Chinese gowns from her great-great-great-great-great-ghost-grandmother. She wants to look horrifying and rattle chains with the cool American ghouls at school, but her ghost ancestors insist she dress and behave like a good Chinese ghost. Desperate to fit in and find a middle haunting ground between her cultures, she plans a ghastly new look. But she questions whether her haunt couture is a fabulous fright or a grave mistake when her family finds out, and another ghoul at school appropriates her Chinese fashion.
This ghoulishly playful ghost story offers a boo-tiful reminder that while sometimes school and family can make you feel invisible, bicultural pride never goes out of style.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645675570
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	08/02/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	659,194
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Karen Yin is the author of Whole Whale (Barefoot Books) and the founder of the Conscious Style Guide and Editors of Color Database. So Not Ghoul was inspired by a fondness for ghosts from Chinese lore and by growing up caught between her American and Chinese cultures. Originally from New York, Karen lives in California with her partner and cat friends. Find her at KarenYin.com.

Bonnie Lui is an illustrator for books, games, and television. She created the book The ABC of Feelings (Philomel Books) and illustrated Different Like Me (Our Daily Bread Publishing). Working on Mimi’s story brought back vivid memories of her childhood in Hong Kong, especially the smells of the offerings surrounding her late grandfather’s shrine—cooked chicken, rice wine, incense—the smells that to her always mean family. Bonnie now lives in Pasadena, California, with her cat, Tibbs.

Editorial Reviews

"A fun, ghostly spin on trading blending in for standing out." –Kirkus Reviews

"Ethereal colors perfectly depict this otherworld, and the text excellently describes Mimi's world and conveys her thoughts and feelings as she considers her Chinese and American cultures [...] A luminous picture book that embraces the beauty of biculturalism." —School Library Journal

"Yin serves up a pun-tacular ghost story [...] [Mimi's] desire to fit in is easily relatable and gives her decision to stand up to bullies extra oomph." —Booklist

"The text of this caught-between-two-cultures ghost story contains much wordplay [...] and the illustrations capture Mimi's early misery and later empowerment." —Horn Book

From the Publisher

07/01/2022

K-Gr 2—Chinese American Mimi is getting ready to haunt a new school, and her ancestors have plenty to say about the proper attire and manners Mimi should have. Her old Chinese gowns come from her great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, and shemust make sure to have her hair covering her face. Mimi arrives at the school and she sees that some of the other American ghosts are wearing fun-looking sheets with chains. When Mimi tries to make her own gown, she arrives at school horrified to see that one of the ghosts has not only taken her traditional gown but is wearing it very wrong. The ghoul inside Mimi comes out as she tells the ghost how she really feels. Mimi discovers her pride in her ancestors and culture and gains unexpected ghoul-friends in the process. Each beautifully illustrated spread pulls readers into this ghostly world, which although full of specters, is similar to our own. Ethereal colors perfectly depict this otherworld, and the text excellently describes Mimi's world and conveys her thoughts and feelings as she considers her Chinese and American cultures. The school friendship scenarios will be familiar to many. VERDICT A luminous picture book that embraces the beauty of biculturalism.—Selenia Paz

School Library Journal

2022-04-27
A young ghost finds her spooky flair.

Mimi isn’t looking forward to her first day of haunting a new school. Per all the proverbs and rules for “good Chinese girl ghosts” that her ancestors preach, Mimi is dressed and styled quite traditionally, wearing “old Chinese gowns from her great-great-great-great-great-ghost-grandmother.” Her family doesn’t want her to emulate American ghosts. But “Mimi is American—Chinese American.” And the traditional “haunt couture” touted by her ancestors is “SO NOT GHOUL!” At school, Mimi feels she doesn’t fit in with her ghoulmates, who cruelly taunt her. How can Mimi be a fearsome and horrifying ghost if she sticks out? Full of ghostly puns, this is a playful look at identity, culture, and new-student blues. Though the narrative and antagonism between characters are resolved a little too neatly, readers will root for Mimi as she embraces her bicultural identity in her own way. She contradicts the idea that “good Chinese girl ghosts are not permitted to show their feelings” by loudly standing up for herself and against dominant norms by finding confidence in her ancestral gowns. Her family applauds in pride, and her ghoulmates are inspired to broaden their views. Lui’s digital illustrations are full of textures and layers, adding to the otherworldly motif. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A fun, ghostly spin on trading blending in for standing out. (Picture book. 5-8.)

Kirkus Reviews