THE GHOST WHO WAS AFRAID OF EVERYTHING

A little ghost faces his fears in time for Halloween.

Finn, a ghost with charming, expressive eyes, doesn’t understand why so many things terrify him: trees, the color orange, and flying, which his family does all the time, especially on Halloween. He hides in the attic, feeling lonely. His supportive family brings him his favorite chocolates after trick-or-treating each Halloween. Alas, this year, his siblings forget. Finn resolves to confront his fears so he can trick-or-treat with his family next year. With trepidation and persistence, using self-imposed exposure therapy, he begins with trees: He touches a tree for one minute, gradually increasing the time until he can hug, then climb the tree. Ahmed clearly describes Finn’s feelings: “When Finn is afraid, his stomach swoops, his hands sweat, and he can’t move.” Her poignant black ink drawings depict Finn’s more difficult emotions: In one image he’s hunched over, surrounded by a riot of squiggly lines. Color seeps into the illustrations the more he manages his emotions; the tree begins to morph from black to brown as he gains confidence. When he reckons with his fear of flying—and even endures a frightening collision—the visuals awaken with pinks, blues, and purples. Throughout, swatches of orange add bold, optimistic hints that Finn will thrive, embraced by his family and motivated by chocolate.

A sweet, seasonally inspired, social-emotional learning book.