Ghost Cat

Losing a pet is always difficult; finding a new one isn't the solution for everyone, but in this case, it's a decidedly happy development.

Though the youngster misses his pet, the story is not sad and could be helpful for parents discussing the loss of a pet with a child.

In a comforting story of memory, longing, and hope, a boy is convinced that his home is being occupied by a ghost. He thinks it's a cat because he "used to have one," he says while wistfully looking at photos of his beloved pet. The ghost cat is definitely a spectral figure, rendered in icy blue with an ethereal white outline that pops against the setting's predominately warm browns and oranges. But the haunting doesn't bother the boy at all: in a series of spreads, the ghost does the sorts of things that are catnip to kitty lovers: it dashes around the house, curls up on the bed at night ("I feel its weight, its warmth, its purring"), and engages in feline mischief (splashing in the fish tank, knocking over a book and then a bowl). The boy avidly pursues the ghost cat until it leads him to his front doorstep, where a living stray kitten awaits. The final image is a wonderful one: the boy in his bed again, this time with both the kitten and the ghost cat curled up beside him. The heart, it seems, has room for everyone we've ever loved. Ages 3-6. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (June)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2--A young boy suspects there's a ghost in his house. While he has never really gotten a good look at it, he thinks it might be a cat. He knows this because he used to have a cat. After many days of seeing it out of the corner of his eye, he finally spots it and follows it to the front door, where he finds something new waiting for him. While avoiding an explicit discussion of loss, this marvelous story conveys a young child's feelings of loneliness and grief. The portrayal of the lost cat as a specter that lingers in the child's mind is a clever and thoughtful way to show how humans can often see, hear, and feel loved ones after they've gone. Most of the digital illustrations are drawn on warm, yellow-hued pages. The ghost cat is lithe, mysterious, and playful, hiding behind fruit bowls and lurking down hallways as the young boy tries to catch a glimpse. The drawings are reassuring and cozy and the ghost cat is never spooky, instead depicted as a hopeful memory of the boy's missing pet, up to its old antics once again. VERDICT This story gives parents and caregivers an excellent framework to discuss loss and grief with young children. Recommended for purchase.--Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library, RI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"On every page, Atteberry poignantly recognizes a child's deep sense of loss. The boy has toys, books, music, a comical pet fish, yet Atteberry never shows more than wide-open eyes and a little nubby nose on his face, seemingly suggesting dampened reactions: the child still mourns. The first smile appears only in a photo from the past—and doesn't return until book's end, when the opening 'There is a ghost in my house' gets revised to 'There is a ghost in our house.' A beloved pet never truly disappears, but joy with a new pet is possible, too."—Shelf Awareness