Ghoulia

Ghoulia lives in Crumbling Manor with Auntie Departed and an albino dog named Tragedy. In this iconographic-animated adaptation of writer and illustrator Barbara Cantini’s 2018 picture book, silky-toned narrator Jordan Killam reminds viewers that Ghoulia is not an ordinary child but rather a zombie, with unusually pale skin, big round eyes, and the ability to pull off body parts. Auntie Departed confines Ghoulia to Crumbling Manor’s front yard where the child spies on the local village kids, wishing that she could make friends. Halloween provides Ghoulia the perfect opportunity to create a costume and blend in. She uses Uncle Misfortune’s head as a trick-or-treat basket and joins the neighborhood kids who think that her name is Julia. When the group decides to make scary faces, Ghoulia gets caught up in the antics and begins tossing her head into her hand, among other startling movements, after which she admits that she is a zombie, and ends up playing with her new friends at Crumbling Manor. Backed by flute and other instrumental music, this ghoulishly spooky tale concludes with some Halloween projects, including directions for making Ghoulia’s costume and simple holiday treats. Also featuring a read-along option, this is recommended. [Note: the companion title Ghoulia and the Mysterious Visitor is also newly available.] Aud: E, P. (S. Beauregard)