Written by Jarrett Dapier
Illustrated by Lee Gatlin
Abrams Kids
A 2023 Illinois Reads Selection!
A rollicking, spooky-fun trip through the most haunted home in America: the White House!
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When the Skeleton Drummers receive an invitation from the First Lady to perform at the biggest Halloween party of a lifetime—or afterlife—the band must pack their instruments, rise from the earth, and prepare to rock the White House. With gusto and bone-rattling beats, the skeletons BOOM! BANG! and CLANG! as the crowd of trick-or-treaters dance on the president's lawn. But when the party moves inside, something's not quite right: there's a chill in the air and a prickle of fright. There's one thing you might not know: The White House is haunted from top to toe!
With rhyming, rhythmic text from Jarrett Dapier and wonderfully macabre illustrations from Lee Gatlin, this musical tour of America's most famous home is full of spooky surprises at every turn.
"Patriotic fare gets some scary flare in this bouncy tale of 'a Halloween din'.... Gatlin’s cheery skeletal crew (like a bonier version of Alvin and the Chipmunks) is full of verve... No bones about it. This book has pep, drive, and the perfect vibe for the Halloween season."
-Kirkus
"Rhyming all the way through, it fills itself not just with a fun bouncy storyline about little skeletons asked to drum for a White House Halloween party, but also a lot of factual information about the ghosts that reportedly haunt this structure. A neat amalgamation of ideas, and who can resist that killer Lee Gatlin art?
No one, that’s who."
-Betsy Bird, A Fuse Number 8 Production,
School Library Journal
"The illustrations and narrative surrounding the most haunted house in America are more than enough to keep readers entertained."
-School Library Journal
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"The text’s rhythm and rhyme capture the Skeleton Drummers’ beat, while the cartoon illustrations are a riot of movement and detail forged in Halloween hues."
-Booklist
"...(a) whimsical and rollicking romp with witty rhyming text... Author Dapier lets his imagination fly... Illustrator Gatlin seems to be having a blast... This title adds history and comical spice to Halloween story times."
-Brian Wilson, children's librarian and author of
the blog, Mr. Brian's Picture Book Picks
