Ghoulia

Ghoulia wants to blend in with other kids, but her appearance (greenish-gray skin, Ping-Pong ball eyes) and special talents (she can yank off and reattach her body parts at will) give her away—she’s “a perfectly normal zombie girl.” Living in Crumbling Manor at the edge of town, Ghoulia and her Auntie Departed fear discovery and subsequent banishment, so Ghoulia spends her time with her beloved albino greyhound, Tragedy. Still, she longs for friendship with other children, and when she learns about trick-or-treating, she sees her chance to mingle undetected. In a happy resolution, Ghoulia’s identity comes out (she can’t resist removing her head in front of the other kids), and her new friends accept and celebrate her unique qualities. Cantini’s detailed full-color drawings ramp up the comedy on every page with labels and asides, including a page from Ghoulia’s Halloween-prep journal. This well-paced series opener will work well as both a read-aloud and a humorous choice for newly independent readers. Final art not seen by [em]PW[/em]. Ages 6–8. [em](Aug.) Correction: A previous version of this review misidentified the final art as black and white. [/em]