Who isn’t afr­aid of the dark or prefers to move around in rooms where elders are already present? How could one cure this problem without going to extreme lengths? Simple. Read Spooky House, the perfect book that will make you brave enough to enter any space, no matter how dangerous or devilish it may seem, because it simplifies the fear of ghosts, vampires and monsters with its interesting take.

Illustrated by Dan Crisp and created with the help of Aimee Chapman, Hannah Cockayne, and Amy Oliver, this lift-the-flap book covers every nook and corner of a standard spooky house. It has as many as eight ghoulish scenes to explore, including one that even leads to a Bat Cave (not Batman’s Bat Cave).

Being greeted by Skelly Bob and Bogey Monster in the hall, entering Willa the Witch’s kitchen, or even going into the haunted attic and vampire’s crypt, would be a walk in the part for you, thanks to this book where every room has a different fun activity. All you have to do is lift the flaps to find out what creepy character is there to meet you and surprise it before it can surprise you!

If you find a gremlin instead of the skeleton in the closet or notice fiery eyes from the fireplace, don’t be scared, since they are all there to acclimatise you with the spooky standards so that when you are alone, or enter a real spooky place, fear will be the last thing on your mind.

The best thing about this book is that despite looking scary, it isn’t frightening. It has been compiled while keeping young readers in mind so that it not only encourages imagination but also improves your speaking skills and hand-eye coordination, all of which will help you once you grow up.

If you weren’t brave before entering the world provided by this book, you would be a different person by the time you exit it. You will no longer be shocked if something pops up from inside the cupboard, or if your favourite snack has become someone else’s favourite snack because, thanks to this book, every flap raised will take your ‘spooktacular’ level to new heights.

In the end, something about the friendly-looking illustrations that makes you understand that not everything that looks scary is scary. After all, even monsters, ghouls and vampires have a life when they aren’t frightening people.

Catch them in that mode with Spooky House and spook them, before they do you!

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 4th, 2024