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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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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)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)