The Ghost-Eye Tree

A young boy and his sister are dispatched to the other side of town one blustery autumn night to fetch some milk in this spooky picture book from co-authors Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, and illustrator Ted Rand. Hurrying through the dark night, the pair squabble about the boy's hat, which his sister insists makes him look stupid, but they are in complete accord when it comes to the Ghost-Eye tree standing at the midway point of their walk. Making their way past it going out, they find themselves terrified by a wailing sound they hear, when passing it on the way back, and scramble madly for safety. Once home, the boy decides he will make himself scarce, when his mother again wants milk at night...

Given the subject matter, and show more the striking cover image, I expected to enjoy The Ghost-Eye Tree, which I initially sought out as a Halloween read, despite the fact that it is not explicitly a Halloween story. I was not disappointed, finding the story satisfactorily spooky, as well as unexpectedly heartwarming. I appreciated the fact that while the sister begins by ridiculing her brother (not unrealistically, in a tale about siblings), she also is very determined to help him, when push comes to shove and he loses his hat. The accompanying artwork from Ted Rand was by turns deliciously creepy and beautifully expressive, and I particularly appreciated the use of light, and the range of expressions the artist captured in his human faces. The text itself had a poetic cadence, making this a good read-aloud selection, which is hardly surprising when one considers that the story was developed by the co-authors as a readers' theater piece for young people. All in all, this is one I would recommend to picture book readers and audiences in the mood for spooky read-alouds. show less

This one has style--the art is kind of smeary-pastelly (I don't know anything about art) but also dark, which is cool. The kids are cool classic twentieth-century siblings, bickery and brave. (It makes me hope very much that my son ends up with a little brother or sister somehow, since his older bro is 14 years older and more like a cool uncle.) There are plentiful chances to go "oooOOoOOOOOoOOOOOOOOooooOOOOooo!" It's a great Halloween storybook.

One of my favorite picture books, bar none. I've read this one more times than I can count and I still love it every bit as much as I ever did. The exchange of spars between the brother and sister is perfect set up for the sister's eventual choice to do the right thing in protecting him.

The watercolor images add a layer of dreaminess to this tale, and the high-contrast colors certainly help add drama. Almost all the characters are lit from below, creating the classic ghoul look and a pervasive spooky tone. This spookiness is well balanced by the playful teasing betwixt the brother and sister. Every now and then the writing can seem redundant, but read aloud, the repetition, rhythm, and occasional rhyme make it exciting and engaging. Even the largely vertical layout of the book adds engaging tension and suspense, forcing the reader to slowly inch down the page, creating a mini-cliffhanger with every line and subsequent “…”. I can see the reading of this book easily becoming a Halloween tradition in many show more households, classrooms, or libraries. show less

When I first started reading this story I was enjoying it. I really liked the illustrations. I also really liked how some of the words were rhyming. Rhyming words always makes a story more engaging and enjoyable to read. However, as I continued to read I noticed the story got boring. I did not feel engaged at all. I felt like the story did not have a message for the readers. I feel like an important factor that a book needs to have is to have a central message. This book would not be a book I would recommend.

This is a longer read-aloud, which makes sense because it might be just a little too spooky and frightening for younger kids. (If you have a very sensitive child, read first before buying, as always.)

If you're going for a spooky book (that realistically is just what the kid thinks is there instead of any actual ghosts or monsters) for the 5 - 8 age range, this is a good one. The illustrations, the language - it all creates a perfect mind-picture of what's going on.

I will note that the sister does tease her brother, calling him stupid and whatnot. I don't alter the language when reading, that's absurd - it's not words that hurt, it's the attitudes when they're spoken. We instead use words like this in books as a stepping stone for show more discussion. (Besides, it's little details like sibling squabbles that give a book its realism.) show less

I enjoyed reading this book! Personally, I think it would work really well as a read aloud for a younger elementary class close to Halloween because of the creepy storyline. The reasons that I liked reading this story were the illustrations, the rhyme scheme throughout the text, and repetitive phrases such as “”Oooo” and “dark” and “dread”. With the illustrations, the lack of bright colors and the dark shadows on the characters faces emphasizes the creepy and scary tone throughout the story. Also, the facial expressions on the characters demonstrate the relationship between them (specifically the brother and sister). It can allow the students/readers to make personal connections to a time that they felt scared either by show more themselves or with a sibling, family member or friend. The rhyme scheme that is evident throughout the story can benefit the students/readers during a read aloud. The students can guess the word(s) at the end of each phrase based on their knowledge of what words rhyme with the previous ends of phrases. In addition, the rhyme scheme gives the book/story a rhythm that the teacher can emphasize during the read aloud. Finally, the repetitive phrases within the text allow the students to hear the language over and over again. Also, these phrases reflect the tone/theme of the book. For example, the phrases “Oooo”, “dark” and “dread” emphasize the creepy and frightening tone and setting of the forest, specifically the area near the Ghost-Eye tree. These words/phrases can be used as word wall words or words of the day to assess the children on their vocabulary. show less