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LEONARD GROWS A HAUNTED GARDEN

Name: LEONARD GROWS A HAUNTED GARDEN
Author: Mike Ciccotello
ISBN: 9780374394745

From the Leonard the Ghost Book series

by Mike Ciccotello ; illustrated by Mike Ciccotello ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 13, 2026

Safely spooky and downright silly.

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After building the perfect home for himself and his friends, a handy little ghost attempts to grow a garden.

The other ghosts, who collectively narrate, are hoping for “the scariest garden EVER. A real boo-tanical fright”—ideally in the cemetery. But Leonard opts for the backyard. And instead of weeds, he plants seeds, much to the consternation of the others, who “don’t want anything that grows up to be pretty or smell nice.” Once the garden is in full bloom, the real test of its spookiness—or lack thereof—arrives when the ghosts’ human neighbors stop by. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a group of spirits, even adorable ones, is a frightening sight to the adults, who screech in terror, though their child is thrilled at her new neighbors. Leonard’s a sweet little ghost, always wearing his gardening hat and work gloves, a smudge of pink on his cheeks. Each of his friends—depicted as translucent floating sheets—has their own distinctive characteristic: a beanie, a hairbow, glasses, a furrowed brow. An especially captivating illustration shows the unassuming new seedlings reaching toward the sky, looking up at Leonard as he peers down at them, his joy a dramatic contrast to his friend’s dismay. Quietly determined to create the garden of his dreams, Leonard is a hero that readers will root for; the puns and sunny artwork combine for a story that’s just right for those who prefer their Halloween tales on the gentle side.

Safely spooky and downright silly. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026

ISBN: 9780374394745

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL

- BOOK REVIEW
LEONARD BUILDS A HAUNTED HOUSE
by Mike Ciccotello ; illustrated by Mike Ciccotello

- BOOK REVIEW
I'M A VOLCANO!
by Bridget Heos ; illustrated by Mike Ciccotello

- BOOK REVIEW
I'M A VIRUS!
by Bridget Heos ; illustrated by Mike Ciccotello

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THE PUMPKIN THIEF

From the Leaf Thief series

by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2026

More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.

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Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.

Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.

More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 28, 2026

ISBN: 9781464268076

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SUN THIEF
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SNOW THIEF
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BISON AND THE BUTTERFLY
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)