As a kid I remember being completely enthralled by Jan Pieńkowski’s Haunted House, a creepy, kooky spooky, pop-up book by an exceptional illustrator. The House of Madame M, by the French creator Clotilde Perrin is a modern counterpart and will provide for its readers a similarly magical experience. Like Perrin’s previous work, Villains, this is a beautifully produced large-format book.

Readers are invited in to explore the home of a very mysterious resident. We take a tour through the different rooms of a strange house that is crammed with scary surprises: there are lots of flaps to lift and tabs to pull with imaginative, humorous details, and bizarre critters lurking behind doors, in cooking pots and even in the toilet bowl. It’s a thrilling treasure trove and will be adored by readers of all ages who delight in exceptional illustration and have a taste for the macabre.

Kim Gruschow is the children’s book buyer at Readings St Kilda.