There’s a Ghost in this House

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- A new Jeffers is always a wonderful thing, but this one excels in terms of design! The story concerns a young girl who knows there are ghosts in the old rambling mansion she lives in, though she is yet to actually see one. She thinks they might be white with holes for eyes, but as she's still looking for them, she isn't sure and invites the reader to help her look. This is where the cleverness of the book's design occurs: interleaved between the illustrated pages are translucent waxed parchment tracing pages with splashes of white paint and pairs of tiny black dots that almost fade into the background. But when seen from the other side, the white blotches are transformed into ghosts, and the dots into eyes! The illustrations are a clever collage from architectural reference books and old furniture catalogues, drawn-in details and 'a bit of paint' plus a lot of skill. Great fun for readers of all ages!  Lindy

‘Children will love the concept of being able to spot what the young girl can’t and Jeffers’ dryly funny visual jokes on the elusiveness of spirits finish with a cliffhang . . . Another absolute winner from this inventive author’ Daily Mail ‘A delightful interactive story for Halloween, long on spectres but short on scares . . . Hauntingly adorable’ Guardian ‘the bestselling author pushes the boundaries of the picture book form . . . The giggling ghouls unseen by the girl may have little readers shouting “he’s behind you!” but there’s nothing panto-esque about this smart and inventive book’ Guardian “Thrilling” Big Issue