HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A GHOST?

Anxiety nearly derails a spectral relationship.

In a neat, apparently empty pink bedroom, an unseen narrator insists, “There is a ghost in this room.” A pointed hat floats before the window, and readers are invited to comment: “Do you like their hat? Do you like the way it brings out their eyes?” As the book progresses, it becomes clear that Ghost is fretting about an upcoming party; they try on makeup, practice small talk, and ask for advice on a gift to bring the host. Ghost stumbles while going to get the present, which unleashes feelings of panic, conveyed in a series of “what if” statements swirling across a double-page spread. But after sharing these thoughts—and a cup of tea—with readers, Ghost feels much better. Turns out Ghost is worried about making a good impression on the party’s host, Martha (a fellow ghost). Will readers come, too? Please? Inside Martha’s home, the narrator reports that Ghost and Martha are happily chatting. “She’s laughing! She’s touching Ghost’s arm!” Though some of the social situations may not resonate with younger readers (worries about small talk, Ghost’s anxieties stemming from a romantic interest in Martha), this nervous, needy protagonist elicits plenty of empathy, and the happy ending is a satisfying one. The detail-rich art cleverly suggests the spirit presence, with glowing spots of light and empty space, gradually showing more conventional white blobs with pink cheeks.

A pleasing pre-party pep talk.