Poultrygeist

The chicken crosses the road…and arrives on the other side as a ghost. . . . Oswald’s illustrations display masterful use of color, with bright, ghostly animals against a dark, often all-black background, the dialogue shown in colors that correspond to the speakers. These ghosts do become scary but not enough to completely terrorize readers. Oswald’s skill is seen in full effect, as readers witness only the animal ghosts’ reactions to the poultrygeist’s scariest face, building suspense for the full reveal. This book is just right for kids easing into the slightly scary and macabre but who…

Thanks to a passing semi, a chicken crossing the road definitely gets to the Other Side—but rejects the insistence of hovering deer, possum, and other fellow roadkill that it’s payback time. . . Young audiences may have different views, though, and Oswald obliges by crafting cartoon images of spectral wildlife with staring, glaring eyes and shark-like teeth, and also making use of page turns to work dramatic “jump!”–worthy changes of size and expression.

An amusing concept and attendant wordplay (“Show a little pluck, Cluck!”) by debut author Geron gets a big assist from Oswald’s marvelous digital illustrations: intricate, iridescent textures; fluorescent colors; and lots of comic exaggeration evoke a spectral world that’s also reassuringly silly.

[Geron] is serendipitously paired with artist and production designer Oswald. The dynamic duo absolutely know how to entertain, Geron with the clever, multilayered phrases ("cock-a-doodle-BOO!"; "ghosts of a feather haunt together!"), Oswald with the colorful and expressive, digitally created ghouls and goblins ready to engage and captivate from the OTHER SIDE. The result proves supernaturally spooktacular. . . cleverly captivating.

Against the digital illustrations’ midnight-dark backgrounds, the brightly colored poltergeists’ silliness should prevent young readers from feeling too “weak in the beak”. . . . It’s hard to feel chicken when a book is this clucking hilarious.