Gilbert the Ghost - Guido Van Genechten - ★★★.¼

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AUTHOR: Guido Van Genechten
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2015
RATING: 3.25 stars.

I had opted for this because of the cover and the book turned out to be almost as sweet as indicated, but not outstanding.

Gilbert loves some aspects of being a ghost but he doesn’t like saying “Boo”, he doesn’t want to haunt anyone and wants to be polite. When the principal of his Ghost school sends him to the Abandoned Tower as a punishment, Gilbert comes into his own and makes the best of his situation.

I liked the subtle message that comes out in the story about being yourself and making the best of your surroundings. But the content felt incomplete somehow. And it seemed like Gilbert’s punishment was permanent. His other ghost friends came to visit him at the Abandoned Tower after they finished their ghostly hauntings and at his place they behaved well. But Gilbert was never made part of the community again, and his parents don’t seem to be bothered. The ending was abrupt and unfinished for me.

The illustrations are adorable. I loved them more than the story.

If you are looking for a cute story without any significant message or moral, this would be a decent choice. But if you have kids who question everything, be prepared to face a lot of queries.

I’m usually very generous with children’s books but this one somehow failed to hit the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Clavis Publishing, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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