Jane Thayer (1) (1904–2005)

Gus the Friendly Ghost lived in an old house in the country. There were apple trees and lilacs in the yard and, in the summer, the Scott family lived there, too.

Gus liked to rattle and clank in the attic, but since the Scotts did not believe in ghosts, they did not believe in Gus. But, when he rattled and clanked, they told all their friends, “We’ve got a ghost!”

But when autumn arrived, the Scott family packed up and left the old country house. Gus had nothing to do; he was lonely. Gus went for a walk. He met Mouse, who was freezing, and he invited him to come live in the old country house. Gus was happy to have Mouse staying in the house; he learned to make all sorts of cheese dishes because, even though ghosts never get hungry, Mouse was always hungry, and Gus wanted him to be happy.

Gus read to Mouse by the light of the fire. Sometimes the two friends played checkers. They popped corn. And, one day, the snow melted, the sun grew warm. Buds grew on the apple tree and the lilacs bloomed. And, one day, a car drove into the yard. The Scott family was back!

What will happen when they find Mouse [and Gus] living in the house?

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This edition, an offering from the Weekly Reader Children’s Book Club, was re-issued by Weekly Reader in 2002 and by Purple House Press in 2014. The reading age for the book is five and six years old, grade levels preschool through third.

A beloved childhood favorite, this delightful tale of friendship is sure to become a much-loved story for a new generation of young readers. The charming illustrations . . . purple, red, black, and white . . . are a perfect accompaniment to the sweet tale of Gus and Mouse and the Scott family. It’s an engaging story for adults to share with their young readers; the life lessons of friendship, respect, acceptance, and selflessness are both relevant and heartwarming. Parents are sure to enjoy sharing this enchanting story with their young readers.

Highly recommended.… (más)

Gus the Ghost is more than a bit picky about how he dresses. He has a homespun and a linen sheet and alternates wearing and washing them so he stays looking his ghostly best. After a few hundred years of haunting, he is getting a bit tired of ironing though. Then he sees an advertisement for drip-dry sheets. No more ironing! He goes to buy a new white sheet....and sees a display of colorful, beautiful sheets! He wants a little color in his life! But he has to get a bit creative!

Gus is by far my favorite character from children's books. His first story, Gus Was a Friendly Ghost, was my favorite book as a child. I discovered just this year that there are 7 more Gus stories! This series is so cute and sweet. The stories are uplifting and the illustrations by Seymour Fleishman are always wonderful.

There are 8 books in the Gus the Ghost series. Gus is friendly and loves his friends, Mouse the Mouse, Cora the Cat and even cranky old Mr. Frizzle. :) I always have a copy of the first book on my keeper shelf....and now I'm hunting down the other 7 so I can read the stories to my grandkids when they visit. I'm happy to share Gus with them! I hope they love him as much as I did!… (más)