Bone Dog by Eric Rohmann

Gus loves his dog Ella. When she dies, he doesn't feel like doing much of anything anymore. He gets dressed up as a skeleton and goes out for Halloween, but his heart isn't in it. He comes across a group of other skeletons - real skeletons! It seems like Halloween is taking a bad turn. Then, out of nowhere, comes a skeleton dog that looks kind of familiar... This is shaping up to be a Halloween that Gus won't ever forget.

Every time I start reading an Eric Rohmann book I'm blown away by the depth in the artwork. The line, the shading, the colours all create such a rich set of images. I was surprised when the storyline veered away from the very real (the death of a pet) to the supernatural (skeletons on attack), but as a whole it works; it allows for a slight separation from a story that would otherwise be very, very sad. This book ended up on many Best of 2011 lists, so don't miss checking it out. And don't let the Halloween setting fool you - this is a book that can be read and enjoyed at any time of the year.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
Skelly the Skeleton Girl by Jimmy Pickering
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes