When I saw that the author of today’s Perfect Picture Book had written it, I knew I had to get it for my grandkids and share it with you.
Title: Ghost Town in the Mountains
Written By: Lynn Becker
Illustrated By: Roland Garrigue
Publisher/Date: Sleeping Bear Press/2026
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: ghost town, mountains, ghosts, skeletons, spooky, song adaptation, attic, scary, haunting, rhyming
Opening:
There’s a ghost town in the mountains, turn back now!
OOOO-WOOO
Ghosts are haunting these ol’ mountains, turn back now!
OOOO-WOOO
Now that nighttime has befallen,
all the ghosties will be callin’.
There’s a ghost town in the mountains, turn back now!
OOOO-WOOOO!
Brief Synopsis: two children explore a haunted cabin in a ghost town in the mountains.
Links to Resources:
· Check out A Note from the Author to learn more about ghost towns and the song which is the tune for the text;
· Try these free ghost craft ideas for kids;
· Check out these Ghost Town Facts for kids.
Why I Like this Book:
Anyone who’s read Becker’s Monsters in the Briny knows that kids love to sing along to it. Personally, I’ll never forget when my young grandson and a friend sat in a wooden boat in the middle of their daycare center singing about Krakens at the top of their lungs.
How do you follow up a hit like that? By combining a well-known and beloved tune, “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” with rhyming text about a visit to a ghost town. Of course, that ghost town is in the mountains, which is perfect for a mad dash home at the end of the story. And of course, the ghost town is filled with haunting creatures, including namesake ghosts.
Because it’s a ghost town filled with ghosts and other haunting creatures, the action takes place at night. Garrigue does an amazing job filling spreads with blue and purple backgrounds with shimmering ghosts, skeletons, and more. So many details to pour over as everyone sings along during the cumulative refrains – OOOO-WOOO!
Ghost Town in the Mountains is such a fun book to read in the lead up to Halloween. But the rollicking text and ghost town setting aren’t tied to any particular holiday. So it’s a perfect read aloud at home or in schools all year long.
A Note about Craft:
Adapting a well-known melody in the public domaine with a new story, new setting, and two kids off on an adventure is a recipe for a read-aloud that will have kids and their adults singing along. I know! I read Ghost Town in the Mountains several times earlier this week with my grandson (4 years old) and granddaughter (2 years old) in the shadow of the mountains (Boulder, CO, by the Rockies). Both joined in the refrain after the first reading (I actually sang the text the first time, but my grandson encouraged me to read, not sing. Out of the mouths of babes!)
Note: I won my copy of Ghost Town in the Mountains in a giveaway on Beth Anderson’s blog with no expectation of a review.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
