The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea (Disney / Hyperion)

It seems a bit strange to be reviewing a book that would be so brilliant for Halloween in the midst of a boiling hot summer, but hey, why not, it's a Bob Shea book...
...and if there's one thing we really love, it's Bob Shea's stories.

This time Bob works his magic on a forlorn little character who just happens to be a ghost.

In "The Scariest Book Ever" the ghost is, to be fair, a bit of a drama queen and as he narrates this spooky tale, the reader begins to realise just what's going on.

The ghost, is in fact, more scared of you than you would be of him!

After a bit of a nasty accident involving ketchup (we always wondered what would happen if a ghost was a bit careless with their hot dog) our new invisible friend acts as a tour guide through the spooky forest, meeting lots of scary (not really) characters along the way.

Bob's story and illustrations are beautifully sparse and hugely effective, decked out in the sort of colourscheme your house will probably be come September.

What we loved about this was the way the ghost has you flipping back a few pages to check what he has seen is what you've actually seen. A clever little jedi mind trick, and one I've not seen in children's storytelling before.

Charlotte's best bit: The ULTRA SCARY ending! WAAHHHHH!!!

Daddy's favourite bit: A nifty story mechanic worked around a spooky story that seems absolutely perfect for SummerWeen (because we're petitioning for there to be an extra halloween in the summer!)

(Kindly supplied for review)

"The Scariest Book Ever" by Bob Shea is out now, published by Disney Hyperion.