School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A witch's mask that Miranda makes at a Halloween party gives her the courage to stand up to the ghosts that come into her room each night. She bosses them around until they become so light and small that she can blow them away like feathers. Sketchy illustrations illuminate this nighttime world, with the ghosts appearing more goofy than scary. The art is done in shades of blue and white, with Miranda holding center stage in her red nightgown and vibrant mask. Though the message of overcoming fears is a valuable one, this story offers a limited sense of triumph, since it begins with the child's decision to confront the ghosts, and never shows her fear convincingly enough to make the ending truly triumphant. Skip this one and purchase an extra copy of Ed Emberley's superbly paced Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Little, Brown, 1993).-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A girl uses her witch disguise to give the unwelcome ghostly guests in her bedroom a taste of their own medicine. On her way back from a Halloween party, armed with her scary witch's mask, Miranda decides to take care of the ghosts once and for all. When they show up as usual ("One crawled out from under the bed, another came out of the closet"), she is ready: "How dare you try to scare me!" As she berates them, the ghosts shrink and cower until finally they turn into feathers. Unzner (The Clown Said No) depicts the terrified fellows at the girl's beck and call. Wild-haired Miranda rides a grotesque-looking ghost bareback, while brandishing a lion tamer's whip and hoop as she chases the others around a circus ring. More than ordinary bedsheet spooks, Unzner's ghosts leer, their eyes pop, and long, fiendishly distorted noses protrude from amorphous expressions. Weigelt (It Wasn't Me!) doesn't fully explain how Miranda suddenly summons the gumption to take on all the ghosts at once. On the contrary, she seems so much in control of the situation that readers may find it hard to believe that she ever feared them. Ages 5-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Tired of being scared by the ghosts that dance around her room each night, Miranda frightens them with her scary Halloween witch's mask. The feisty protagonist soon tames the nighttime spooks and gets rid of them all together. The illustrations show a gang of not-too-scary ghosts and a determined Miranda. Despite the unoriginal premise, a young girl taking matters into her own hands is a satisfying message. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
