The Ghost Catcher: A Bengali Folktale — Martha Hamilton; Mitch Weiss

Bank Street Best Children''s Books of the YearA barber in Bengal is so generous to others that sometimes he has nothing left for his own family. When he comes home empty-handed once again, his wife, tired of going hungry, sends him packing until he finds a way to feed the family. As the barber rests under a banyan tree he is terrorized by a ghost. Through his cleverness, though, he turns the frightening encounter into a solution to his problems. When he returns home to his grateful wife, their money worries are over, and the barber can continue to share with those in need. In a hilarious turn of events, the barber discovers a way to scare the ghost into doing what he says. Kristen Balouch''s crisp and colorful illustrations transport us to a world where the living bargain and bluff with the dead, where the communities gather under sprawling banyan trees, and where generosity prevails. This colorful, Indian folktale will teach readers the importance of courage, resourcefulness and trustworthiness.