  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2002 Skeleton has the hiccups, and they’re stubbornly resistant to cure, leaving him hampered with the incessant “hic, hic, hic.” His friend Ghost’s suggestions don’t initially help either (“Eat some sugar”; “Press your fingers . . . over your eyeballs”), but the clever shade has one more trick up his ghostly sleeve. The streamlined text gains a rollickingly poetic feel from its “hic, hic, hic” refrain, and audiences will be unable to resist joining in. Schindler’s gouache, watercolor, and ink illustrations employ suitably dark background tones, making the bright whiteness of Skeleton and his pal pop off the pages; details extend the text with laugh-out-loud results, as when Skeleton attempts to drink water while standing on his head (it comes out of his eye sockets, of course). This is a peppy change of pace from the usual Halloween fare that could make for a bone-rattlingly good storytime. - Copyright 2002 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 10/01/2002 PreS-K-This simple story begs to be read aloud. With a recurring "hic, hic, hic," Skeleton attempts the day's business: he gets up, takes a shower, polishes his bones, carves a pumpkin, rakes the leaves, and plays ball with Ghost. When the traditional remedies don't work, Ghost makes a face and shouts "Boo!" at his friend, but to no avail. Finally, clever Ghost confronts Skeleton with a mirror, frightening the hiccups right out of him and sending them "hic, hic, hic"-ing over the hills. With hilarious illustrations that fill the pages, this book will be a treat for children who can laugh at the slightly macabre. Not all youngsters will be comfortable when Skeleton brushes his teeth and hiccups at the same time, jettisoning his lower jaw across the page, or when the sugar falls through his bones and water pours through his empty eye sockets as he attempts to rid himself of the bone-jarring nuisance. However, Schindler's gouache, watercolor, and ink pictures make the most out of each situation, instilling humor in every scene.-Piper L. Nyman, Fairfield/Suisun Community Library, Fairfield, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. - Copyright 2002 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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