Review: GHOSTS! GHOSTLY TALES FROM FOLKLORE, Genre 2, Traditional Literature

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schwartz, Alvin. 1991. GHOSTS! GHOSTLY TALES FROM FOLKLORE. Ill. By Victoria Chess. USA: HarperTrophy.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is an “I Can Read” level 2 book. This selection contains several short folktales and poems relating to ghosts. The cover advertises “Ghostly Tales from Folklore”. The stories involve death and ghosts but they are presented in a matter of fact way and not too scary. The back of the book includes a section which gives information about the origin of these folktales and rhymes.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is fun for young children. It is not too detailed or complex, perfect for a beginning reader to read on his/her own. The subject matter is about dead people and ghosts, but this is presented in a way which is more fun than scary. In the story, “The Little Green Bottle,” the school bully dies quickly and without fuss. She attempts to continue to bully by haunting. The main character ends up outsmarting her and she lives forever trapped in a bottle. This is “just punishment” for a bully of her type. The rhymes are “cute” and fun to read such as “ghosts sitting on posts eating toast”. The book ends with a rhyme which will keep ghosts away, “Crisscross, double-cross, Ghost, get lost!” This ending will help to ensure that there are no nightmares. This “scary book” is fun and will give young readers confidence and a feeling of reading “older” subject matter.

The illustrations are colorful and simple. They are a nice compliment to the text. The faces are full of expression. The eyes and the mouths are a bit eerie and add to the text. The illustrations, like the text, are more interesting than scary, once again making this book appropriate for younger audiences.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal- Those familiar with Schwartz's ability to produce the best of scary tales for young readers will find this newest addition to be a hit. The sentences are short with a manageable vocabulary, even for those kindergarteners who can tackle the challenge of an early reader. The text is complemented with primitive watercolor illustrations executed in attractive pastels; while the facial expressions are given a semblance of ghoulishness, the total effect is one of enticement (and even humor) rather than of horror. While these stories are not as heart-thumping as those in Schwartz's In A Dark, Dark Room (HarperCollins, 1985), this will nevertheless provide a fun introduction to the "ghostly" genre, and give children a chance to check out a "scary" book. Appended is a page on the origins of the tales and legends.
Kirkus Reviews- From its foreword to its notes on ``Where the Stories Come From,'' this
“I Can Read” collection of seven appealing, mildly scary stories is a model of authenticity: the simplified but effective retellings honor both their sources and their intended audience. Chess's tongue-in-cheek illustrations add a perfect gruesome touch.

5. CONNECTIONS
* The simple stories can be used as models in writer’s workshop, possibly near Halloween. The students can write their own scary stories or rhymes.
* These stories can also be used to model (teach) rhyme, dialogue, and cumulative stories.
* These stories can be studied to distinguish what could be real and what is fantasy.