Poppy The Ghost Hunter of Dunster, by Nina Dodd, blends folklore, adventure and real ghost stories from one of Someset’s most haunted villages
A new children’s book, Poppy The Ghost Hunter of Dunster, has introduced young readers to the spooky tales of one of Britain’s most haunted villages.
Targeted at children aged four to 10, their parents, and anyone intrigued by ghost stories, the book follows a cheerful sausage dog named Poppy on a ghost-hunting adventure around the medieval village of Dunster in Somerset.
The book features 16 full-spread illustrations of Dunster’s most iconic haunted sites, blending history and folklore with family-friendly storytelling.
It draws inspiration from more than 60 ghost stories collected by author Nina Dodd for her 2023 book Witches, Giants and a Ghost Cat – A Travel Guide to the Mystery Tales of Dunster.
“Spooky Isles readers might recall the Witches, Giants and a Ghost Cat book from last autumn when it was first featured on the site. It quickly attracted media attention, earning Dunster the title ‘Most Haunted Village in Britain’ in more than 30 articles across the UK, USA, and Australia,” Nina said.
Since then, many visitors and locals have explored Dunster on the self-guided ghost walk featured in the book.
Dunster Ghost Stories Made Kid-Friendly
Although Poppy The Ghost Hunter of Dunster is inspired by real hauntings, the stories were adapted to be fun rather than frightening for young readers.
“There are references to 14 of the ghost stories I collected from Dunster,” Nina explained. “The oldest is the legend of Grisel Gris, a ghost horse said to have haunted Dunster Castle for over 1,000 years.”
Other tales included sightings of a monk, a little girl, and a grey lady wandering the Luttrell Arms Hotel, a white lady at the Old Nunnery, Civil War soldiers in St George’s churchyard, and even a Roman patrol marching through a bedroom on West Street!
The Inspiration Behind the Book
Nina’s love of ghost stories goes back to her own childhood. “My mother, aunt, and grandmother believed they had paranormal encounters and would share their stories with me,” she recalled. “I also loved making up ghost stories to entertain – and terrify – the other kids in the neighbourhood.”
After writing Witches, Giants and a Ghost Cat, Nina realised there were no children’s ghost books about Dunster, so she decided to create one herself.
This was the first time Nina illustrated a book herself, a challenge she embraced despite moments of self-doubt.
“I had to remind myself that children’s book illustrations vary widely, from stick figures to elaborate works of art,” she said. “I wanted to create scenes inspired by Dunster’s haunted locations while ensuring the ghosts were friendly and approachable.”
Poppy The Ghost Hunter of Dunster officially launched during the Dunster Winter Festival on 7-8 December 2023, where Nina held two free author reading sessions for children in the back garden of her family’s Dunster Living shop (30 High Street).
The book has since been available at the Dunster Living shop and online at www.dunsterbooks.com.
