There's a Ghost in the Garden [Forthcoming!]
There's a Ghost in the Garden [Forthcoming!]
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Katty Maurey
A gentle, probing picture book from award-winning author Kyo Maclear and celebrated illustrator Katty Maurey about the special relationship between a grandfather and his grandson, and the many traces, memories, and even ghosts with which we live
There’s a ghost in Grandpa’s garden. It leaves tracks by the path where there was once a cool, dark stream. It makes mischief by knocking over flowerpots. And sometimes, it leaves behind a gift perfect for a curious boy in the form of little treasures from times gone by.
The boy who is the narrator of this picture book loves spending time with his grandpa in the garden, enjoying the natural world, listening to memories of how things used to be, and making up stories about the friendly ghost. With Grandpa as his loving guide, the boy learns to look closely at the garden and marvel at its mysteries, to uncover the layers of history that make up this special place, and also to fashion new things from all that he has found.
ISBN: 978-1-59270-405-7 • 8.8” (W) x 11.3” (H) • 56 pages • HCJ
REVIEWS
Selected for the Kirkus Reviews 2024 Fall Preview special issue!
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “This quiet yet powerful book perfectly captures the emotional resonance of fleeting moments and the imprints they leave behind. Maclear’s stunning text is lengthy yet deliberately paced, suggesting the meandering feeling of revisiting memories. Rendered in a light, earthy palette, Maurey’s dreamy gouache illustrations are a natural complement to the text, further evoking feelings of stillness, remembrance, and the strong yet gentle bonds of family. A subtle but potent look at the ephemeral nature of life—and a reminder to cherish memories.” —Kirkus Reviews
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “[A] gentle meditation on change and memory… Quiet spreads in cream, moss, and sand set the story in a garden of sculpted forms as child and grandfather contemplate the work of the ghost, who sometimes leaves tracks and knocks over pots, and sometimes deposits small treasures, like a tiny statuette they find in a bird’s nest. Grandpa’s memories feel a bit like ghosts, too, the book reveals… Yet he knows where they are: ‘He says memory has a geography just like the world.’ [A] contemplative journey into a realm where past and present reside cheek-to-cheek.” —Publishers Weekly
STARRED REVIEW! ★ "Maclear’s spare lines beautifully evoke the contemplative, observational tone of the story, emphasizing the still moments when the boy and his grandpa pause to look, listen, and remember. Maurey’s foggy, shadowy paintings, full of dusty hues of pink, blue, green, and purpley gray, softly render a garden settling down into the colder seasons, with fallen leaves and branches littering the ground... A subtle yet poignant meditation on the animating power of memory... A gentle, artful, and quietly enchanting book with a matter-of-fact embrace of change and the passing of time." —Booklist
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “Maclear’s latest picture book is a gentle meditation on the often magical relationship between grandparents and grandchildren… The focus is on the intergenerational bond between the two and how their time together is steeped in creativity and memory. This feeling is deepened by Maurey’s light-filled gouache illustrations, which draw readers into examining each page to find hidden ghosts, some clearly from the grandfather’s childhood… VERDICT: The sensitive treatment and outstanding illustrations warrant a recommended purchase; this is a loving story with beautiful artwork for a broad audience on the importance of grandparents and memory.” —School Library Journal