Das kleine Gespenst (The Little Ghost)
#1464.22 adjusted 4.19 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1966 Reading commitment Low Otfried Preussler Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
Otfried Preußler published Das kleine Gespenst in 1966 with Thienemann, illustrated by Franz Josef Tripp. The Little Ghost lives in the castle of Eulenstein above the town of Eulenberg and passes its nights with its friend, the eagle owl Schuhu. Wishing to see the town in daylight, it wakes at noon one day, and a sunbeam turns it black. Lost in the sewers and mistaken for a stranger, it frightens the townspeople. It is a single standalone novel, and the story world is separate from the author's other books about a water sprite, a witch, a robber and the sorcerer's apprentice Krabat.
Cozy fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Das kleine Gespenst Otfried Preussler
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Das kleine Gespenst; Illustrated by Franz Josef Tripp. | 1966 | 1 | core | 4.22 (7,535 ratings) |
A standalone children's novel about a ghost who wakes at noon and is turned black by a sunbeam.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Das kleine Gespenst (The Little Ghost)? Das kleine Gespenst (The Little Ghost)'s Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Das kleine Gespenst (The Little Ghost) finished? Complete (1966).
- How much reading does Das kleine Gespenst (The Little Ghost) take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Das kleine Gespenst (The Little Ghost) ranked? #146 in this site's official ranking, based on 7,535 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #146?
Ranked #146 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.22 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (7,535 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #145, The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 1 book · Complete · 8k ratings · Ranks #146 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment cozy fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (selected list), 1967: nominated: Das kleine Gespenst
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.22 across 7,535 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 28 universes; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: The Little Ghost Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Otfried Preußler Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = Das kleine Gespenst (1966).