Klassen, Jon. House with Nobody in It, The. Jon Klassen, Illus. Candlewick, 07/2026. [16]pp. Picture Book. Trade $14.99. 978-1-53624-828-9. GRADES Baby/Toddler–Kindergarten. OUTSTANDING.
A simple text describes a small house “with nobody in it” even though children will see a ghost-like figure on the front and back covers and in one spread in the middle of the book. Is the ghost named Nobody? The earthtone colors of the illustrations gradually darken as the story progresses, and die-cut holes in the board pages make it easy to distinguish each room. Also, the book’s house shape with a pointed roof will attract readers. The story has parallels to Brown’s classic Goodnight Moon, because both books name elements in each room, including a chair and a lamp. The layered story will appeal to a wide age range, from toddlers who can name the chair, to emergent readers who can guess the identity of the ghost. A clever board book that will motivate readers to examine it multiple times.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool