October 21, 2022
Spooky Season continues on with "So Not Ghoul" By Karen Yin and Illustrated by Bonnie Lui. Mimi is a Chinese American ghost attending her first day of school in the traditional Chinese clothing her ghost family thinks she should wear. A disgruntled Mimi wants to rattle chains and wear cool American clothes to fit in, and gets even more upset when the popular ghosts make fun of her clothing. Trying to find some middle ground, she creates a harrowing new outfit and still gets laughed at... Just when she thinks things can't get worse, Mimi arrives at school the next day to find the most popular ghost has taken her original Chinese look! Mimi has two options, should she keep trying to fit in? Or is it time to stand out?
Bits and Pieces: There was a LOT going on in this book. First day of school feelings, family drama, identity issues, straddling two cultures and also fashion. It took me a few read throughs to appreciate each issue separately. Of course this is exactly what you want a picture book to do, so Karen did a great job! The illustrations were created digitally and in my favorite palette of green, blue, purple and pinks.
Not Sure About: It would have been cool to learn some facts about Chinese clothing.
Favorite Part: The puns! This book was Pun-tastic. Good Mourning, Specter-Tacular, Haunt Couture… Also I loved Mimi’s ghost kitty.
