KIRKUS REVIEW
The smallest ghost in the family yearns to be noticed.
Little Roderic feels small and overlooked by his family. Wanting to be seen, he decides to try changing his appearance. On top of his standard white sheet, he adds a hat…and then another and another. But that doesn’t work out. Nor does a scarf. He tries taking off his white sheet (revealing his green, ectoplasmic essence) and changing his entire wardrobe, but that doesn’t go over well with the family. “Ghosts just don’t dress like that,” his elders say. He tries going to the city, where perhaps people will notice and appreciate his fashion. But “they [don’t] even see him.” So he returns home, where he has been missed, and the family drapes him in another white sheet, but he doesn’t settle for that. Roderic finally happens upon an outfit that feels just right, and he tells his family, “I am going to be different!!” Not only is he accepted, but his family is inspired to experiment too. The simple digital illustrations effectively use color and composition to set the endearing protagonist against unwelcoming crowds, including the city’s multihued sea of people, and to highlight his mostly lonesome journey.
Though the message is nothing new, the moments of humor and emotional resonance in this brave little ghost’s story make this one worth a read. (Picture book. 3-8)
