The House With Nobody In It, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2026. $19.99 ages 3 and up

 

"This room has a table. 
And there is a clock 
on the wall. 

Let's go into the next room."

I don't often post board books to my blog; that is, unless they are written by Jon Klassen. He continues to amaze with his thoughtful and inspired writing. In this new book, he invites readers inside to explore a house with no residents. The door is open and there is no sign of anyone as the tour begins. The first room has a chair, the second has a table and a clock. Do you notice the interior is getting darker as the exploration continues? 

In the room with a stool and a lamp, a ghostly shape also appears. The walls have changed from warm yellow, to cool blue, to forest green. Moving on, with the ghostly figure appearing at the door of the next room, there is only a bed in an even darker green room. One more door leads to a room with boots only, and the last door offers a chance to move outside into a moonlit evening. 

Repeating the first few lines again at the end adds to the eerie feelings explored. 

"There is nobody 
in this house. 
There used to be somebody. 
But there is nobody 
now." 

Die-cuts, an unmentioned, though evident, resident, and diminishing color in the visited rooms deepens the mystery, and proves that Jon Klassen knows how to tell a ghost story for even our youngest readers. 

Don't miss it!