Review — The Ghost Catcher

Linda Spitzer, Storyteller — 02/11/2008

This is a Bengali folktale about a generous barber and his wife retold in a special way by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss. It’s also a story about a ghost who lived in a tree. The clever barber pretends he is a ghost catcher and outsmarts the ghost by showing him his own reflection in a mirror.  The ghost has never seen a mirror and begs the barber not to let the ugly ghost get him. The barber orders the ghost to work for him from morning until night. When the ghost’s uncle tries to help ,the uncle is no smarter a ghost than his nephew. He too is frightened of his own reflection. The barber is happy with his new life and all the good things the two ghosts did for him.

The illustrations are very simple and colorful and the ghosts aren’t too scary looking for the 4-8 year olds for which this book is intended. It’s a perfect spooky story for your Halloween telling. The authors are award winning storytellers and authors known as Beauty and the Beast.

I recommend this book highly and it will be an asset for any library, storyteller for young folk, grandparents, day care centers, after school care givers etc. The book is due out May 2008, so look for it in bookstores.

Title Details: The Ghost Catcher
Author: Martha Hamilton
Author: Mitch Weiss
Illustrator: Kristen Balouch
Interest Level: GR PreK-3

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