Ghosts are supposed to be sheets, light as air and able to whirl and twirl and float and soar. But the little ghost who is a quilt can't whirl or twirl at all, and he feels sad and left out when he can't keep up with his friends. But then one day, everything changes...
Pick by Monica Arnaldo, Are You a Cheeseburger?:
The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt
Written by Riel Nason
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
Publisher: Tundra Books (September 1, 2020)
The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt handles identity and self-discovery so well. Can you recommend any other books that explore a similar theme?
RN: "I'd recommend Where Oliver Fits by Cale Atkinson and the first Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt. Oliver is a puzzle piece and Atkinson thinks of absolutely every angle as far as Oliver figuring out where he should fit. (It goes well beyond just assessing his basic shape. It is all so well done, and I kept thinking, yes, perfect, that is so clever!) As far as Scaredy Squirrel, sure, maybe I lean towards loving picture books with squirrels, but there is a page flip in the book when Scaredy FINALLY does something and has a wonderful discovery about himself. It is so cute and fun and the whole book is hilarious too."
What was your favorite book as a child? "Miss Suzy by Miriam Young and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. It's about a squirrel who gets chased from her tree-top home, finds safety in an old dollhouse in an attic (where she meets some brave toy soldiers) and then more or less, the power of kindness leads to a happy ending. I loved it. The only thing I loved more than the story was of course the illustrations and imagining actually being Miss Suzy in her tiny oak tree home or the dollhouse."
Do you have a favorite bedtime story? "My children are teenagers now so there are no more bedtime stories at my house, but I do have a book choice to mention as a favorite bedtime read: The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen. It's a book that I've read countless times, too, for storytime when I volunteered at the elementary school library. The illustrations are stellar and there is a double-page spread in the book with animals hiding throughout the town that is amazing. It's a sweet rhyming story that can be read again and again."