FERGUS AND THE NIGHT-DEMON
An Irish Ghost Story

Illustrated by John Manders
Clarion/Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: 0-590-67309-2
Ages: 4-8
Pub Date: September 18, 2006
Picture Book

 

• 2007 Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year

Fergus O’Mara, a resourceful Irish lad, is especially clever at avoiding work. On his way to an evening of fun, he encounters the dreaded Night-Demon. Fergus keeps on walking, but this demon means business, and our hero will have to work hard to get himself out of a "grave" situation.

With haunting humor and high spirits, Jim Murphy and John Manders have created a suspenseful tale that’s scary enough for a Halloween read-aloud and funny enough to be enjoyed at any time. Author’s note describes the various Irish magical creatures that became the inspiration for this tale.

School Library Journal: "A slightly scary, always amusing story about a "lazy, good-for-nothing lad" named Fergus O'Mara who offers only excuses when his mother asks him to do some chores. Children will appreciate this humorous ghost story; it makes a good read-aloud choice."

Kirkus: "Murphy turns his honed nonfiction hand to spinning folklore. Manders's illustrations of gouache and colored pencil embellish the tale with just the right jaunty exaggeration and haunting humor, especially the looming perspectives of the Night-Demon as it grows larger each time, towering over Fergus. A lengthy author's note explains how he blended elements of Irish folklore to craft this spooky yarn."

Publishers Weekly: "Paying homage to the traditions of Irish folklore, Murphy (The Great Fire) crafts an original tale in which a lazy lad from the Emerald Isle uses wit and words to wiggle out of a spooky scrape. Manders's (Quiet Night) gouache and colored pencil illustrations harness an entertaining mix of humor and suspense, sprinkled with clever details such as Fergus's sweater and cap, and the family's thatched-roof dwelling. He pictures the Night-Demon as a dark, towering mass of tattered rags, sharp teeth and glowing red eyes that young readers won't soon forget."

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