Leo: A Ghost Story

Product Information

Morbidly amused, but also genuinely curious, I turned to Mac and asked, “If we did all die in a fiery crash tonight, how many books do you have finished that would still be published posthumously? I also wondered if the thwarted robbery could have been more drawn out and suspenseful, but it was managed well enough. So the ghost boy makes the sad decision to relocate, and finds—and then saves—a new friend in the process.

I also enjoyed how he slightly changed his style for each character, and while the blues in this create a quite melancholy tone for a ghost story, the bold, blocky shapes interact this and become a tool to engage the audience. the book emphasizes a certain sweetness with Barnett's stripped down prose and Christian Robinson's adorable illustrations. A few have two or three sold ahead of time, but haven’t written them yet, and even less have two or three finished waiting for publication, but SEVEN?With Autumn approaching, and Halloween around the corner, it is the perfect time to read Leo: A Ghost Story. There are so many subtle, positive messages in this story, creeping into the brain through the eyes. Illustrated in shades of blue and starring a sweet faced boy ghost, Leo is left wandering the streets after the new owners of his home make it clear he is not wanted. Christian Robinson, the book’s illustrator, is one of the most exciting children’s book artists working today. Jane is sapphire-skinned but reads African-American to me, with her braided or twisted hair — drawn as cheerful little dots — in a high side ponytail.

At some point, my wife made a comment about the quality of my driving,and the danger that I was putting our guest in. The look of the book is mod and sparky enough to delight design-loving parents, while the text, by Mac Barnett is wry, evocative and rich. Mac immediately establishes a connection with the reader by breaking the fourth wall and allowing them to see Leo with the first page turn when not many others in the story can see him.

For many years, Leo lived by himself in a house on the edge of the city, reading books and drawing pictures in the dust. Meeting a young girl named Jane on a sidewalk, Leo finds a companion, one who can see him, but who mistakes him for an imaginary friend. We're not sure how long Leo wanders, but he is a lonely ghost in a foreign world, for we find out that his town has changed considerably since Leo became a ghost. My favorite illustration is from the part of the story when Leo has just found his first real friend. Leo is a house ghost, but when a new family move into his home and shoo him away, he ventures out into the big city.

Mistaking him for an imaginary friend, he forms a special bond with Jane when she invites him to play. It’s a warm and wise story about acceptance trumping difference—including that between life and death. I read it together with two other titles featuring imaginary friends - The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend and Imaginary Fred - and was struck by the fact that all three books address the longing for connection, in their diverse ways. Especially as we start up a new school year, Leo the ghost is a great example of finding friends, both real and imaginary. I appreciated the fact that Jane is a dark-skinned young girl - too many of the more diverse picture-books out there are message-driven, and not enough are fanciful - but that this is not a narrative (or artistic) focus.One particularly great thing about this book is that the pictures are all drawn in different shades of blue. A heartening parable of seeing through difference, meeting the unfamiliar with unflinching friendliness, and dignifying the reality of the other. Together, words and pictures construct a whimsical, delightful story that deeply respects the child. I love the palette of “Leo”: black, white, gray and various shades of moody blue, in a mix of acrylic paint and chunky ­construction-paper collage.