Ghosts for Breakfast

Review
By Kirkus Reviews

Daikon is what’s actually for breakfast in this humorous story about overactive imagination that is based on the experience of one of the author’s own ancestors. The Troublesome Triplets, so-called because no one ever sees any of the three men apart from one another or without some sort of concern, stop in at the farmhouse one night swearing that they have seen ghosts in Farmer Tanaka’s field. Hilariously named Mr. Omi (“Oh me!”), Mr. Omaye (“Oh my!”), and Mr. Ono (“Oh no!”), they sport facial expressions so woebegone that readers can only chuckle. Father decides the best thing to do is take his son over to the field to see what’s actually going on. The boy is terrified to see white wisps blowing in the wind; he’s relieved when he hears his father screaming with laughter, having discovered it’s only Mrs. Tanaka’s daikon hung out to dry. A few days later the grateful Triplets return, this time with delicious pickles made from the ghostly radishes. The stylized acrylic illustrations in dark, nighttime colors are at their best portraying the three woeful gentlemen, but also aptly convey the eeriness of the long swaying pieces of white daikon in the inky night. A perfect blend of humor and suspense, with the added appeal of a Japanese-American setting.