WHEN William Pene DuBois's
picture book "Elizabeth the
Cow Ghost" was published in
1936 some grown-ups raised their eyebrows.
"A ghost story for little children!"
The reaction of the children was
different. Intense interest and the
deep, throaty chuckles that are a response
to real humor, not the "slapdash"
variety, followed the adventures
of Elizabeth and Paul. It was "scary"
but, most of all, it was funny. They
will feel the same way about "Georgie."
George is an ingratiating l i t t le
ghost, mild and anxious to please. He
haunted the New England home of
Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker and was quite
useful. He "creaked" the stairs or
"squeaked" the parlor door to tell
them when to go to bed. He warned
the cat when it was time for his midnight
prowl and the owl when to say
"Whoo-oo-oo." But Mr. Whittaker became
annoyed and nailed the creaking
board down firmly, and oiled the
parlor door. So Georgie had to find
another house to haunt. It was as difficult
as it is to find a house to live in
nowadays! No one wanted Georgie,
not even a cow when he tried to haunt
a bam. Then it snowed and rained,
and everything got very damp indeed.
In the Whittaker house the board began
to creak again, and the parlor
door to squeak every time it was
closed or opened. So Georgie came
home.
The pictures, in a dark, mysterious
blue ink, are quite as amusing as the
story and quite as pleasantly ghostly.

"The most amiable little ghost who ever creaked a stairboard or squeaked a door."