Ghosts in the House!

Dear Friends,

Does it seem to you that Halloween gets more and more ghoulish every year? We enjoy a zombie-free Halloween zone: our pumpkins all smile, our ghosts are friendly, and our witches have neither green skin nor warts. The spine-tingling side of the holiday certainly has its place, but children can often find it a bit overwhelming and worry there really might be monsters in the closet once the lights are turned out. 

So in keeping with this approach, here's our second spooky by not scary book to enjoy during the magical month of October. 

Ghosts in the House

by Kazuno Kohara

Kid power is the theme of this wonderful, whimsical Halloween book. The young heroine of Ghosts in the House! is a confident little witch who knows just what to do with all the ghosts in the splendid house at the edge of town. With the help of her spunky little cat, she immediately takes charge of the situation and transforms the ghosts from haunting to helpful in a very clever way.

Full of stunningly simple illustrations with an almost tactile appearance to them, the book has a vintage look of children’s literature from the 195op0s when really the publication date is 2008. The colors are limited to black and orange and gauzy white, making the ghosts looks as if they could float right off the page. This is a book to be placed on the must read list and one that will be pulled from the shelf year after year to celebrate the Halloween season.

In this Issue

• Banana Ghost Pops
• Clothesline Ghosts

Banana Ghost Pops

As fun to make as they are to eat, these cute little ghost pops are a healthier alternative to more traditional Halloween treats!

Young Readers in the Kitchen

This no-cook recipe is perfect for little witches and warlocks to make with a parent's help. Every step in this recipe is kid friendly, depending on age and skill level.

Banana Ghost Pops

Makes 2; increase as desired

Ingredients

• 1 Banana
• Apple juice or cider
• Shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
• 4 Chocolate chips
• 2 Wooden popsicle sticks

1. Pour apple juice or cider into a small, shallow dish to a depth of about 1/2 inch.
2. Spread some shredded coconut in another dish or on a plate. 
3. Peel banana and slice in half. Insert one popsicle stick in each half. 
4. Place banana in dish with juice and roll to coat banana. Transfer the banana to the dish of coconut and press so that coconut sticks to banana. 
5. Insert two chocolate chips in each banana for eyes (and maybe another for a mouth!).
6. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Enjoy!

 

 

Clothesline Ghosts

Inspired by the transparent inhabitants in Ghosts in the House!, these tissue paper ghosts keep little fingers busy creating their own versions to hang out to dry. 

Why We Like It

• Tearing the ghosts, using the hole punch, and clipping the ghosts to the string are all wonderful for building fine motor skills.
• Creating organic ghost shapes encourages imagination and creativity. 

Clothesline Ghosts

Supplies

• White tissue paper
• Hole punch
• Hole reinforcement stickers
• Black crayon
• String
• Mini clothespins (or paper clips)

1. Tear a ghost shape from tissue paper. Repeat until you have desired number of ghosts. 
2. Use hole punch to punch eyes in each ghost. Place a hole reinforcement sticker around each eye. 
3. Use black crayon to give each ghost a mouth.
4. Cut a length of string long enough to hold all of your ghosts. Clip each ghost to string with a mini clothes pin or paperclip.