I’ve seen other reviewers recommending the book for ages 4-6, but I think kids much older than that will love it. the book emphasizes a certain sweetness with Barnett's stripped down prose and Christian Robinson's adorable illustrations. 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.

The story has a light touch, but there’s so much depth: a fearful ghost, a take-charge girl, an interracial friendship, and a tale in which fear is integrally and sweetly tied to positive qualities of imagination.A heartening parable of seeing through difference, meeting the unfamiliar with unflinching friendliness, and dignifying the reality of the other. Leo's new friend, Jane, is a black girl who has a huge imagination (and also wears the ponytail balls in her hair and I wanted those sooo badly when I was little but my mom couldn't make them work so I was just envious of all the girls who could wear them, a memory which surfaced when I saw Jane, but in a lovingly sentimental way, no spite at all). Christian Robinson's decision to use papercutting and coloured pencil to illustrate this book, might have created a flat looking image created by just any old illustrator, but the way he wonkily and boldly cuts shapes and draws around them, makes the illustration as engaging as the text. At some point, my wife made a comment about the quality of my driving,and the danger that I was putting our guest in. 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?

This book is charming and has a story structure that keeps you guessing what is going to happen and what the resolution will be ; not one of those one, two, three punch kids stories. With Autumn approaching, and Halloween around the corner, it is the perfect time to read Leo: A Ghost Story. Leo: A Ghost Story is the tale of a true lost soul, looking for companionship after a long and lonely haunt. The story doesn’t tell us how he became a ghost at such a young age, and it doesn’t promise that his imaginative new friend will always trust him. This is Leo, who is a obviously a ghost; we never learn his back story or how he came to be alone in the house.Leo features much darker colors and a flat (literally two-dimensional, not boring), more childlike feel to the style, whereas Beekle is crisper and rounder and brighter. 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. He openly welcomed the new family into his home, but, the family was scared and desperate and a little bit hateful of their housemate, so Leo hits the road as a roaming ghost. 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. Jane and Leo have lots of fun together but being a ghost is not the same as being imaginary; and Leo’s ghostly nature might just save the day!

My favorite illustration is from the part of the story when Leo has just found his first real friend. Christian Robinson’s beautiful illustrations are simple and stylish; the cool blue palette perfectly captures Leo’s quiet world and the city scenes evoke classic New Yorker-style illustrations. Despite Leo’s ghost status there is nothing spooky about this moving story of friendship, acceptance, and belonging. This charming tale of friendship—from two of the best young minds in picture books: the author of the Caldecott Honor–winning Extra Yarn and the illustrator of the Bologna Ragazzi Award–winning Josephine—is destined to become a modern classic that will delight readers for years to come. The plot lost me when a burglar was tossed in from nowhere to create some artificial action, drama, and resolution.In any case, this was a sweet tale made all the better by Robinson's illustrations, done in acrylic paint and cut-out paper, in varying shades of blue, brown and black. As always Robinson shows that he is a genius of mood—shades of blue and heavy black lines cast a melancholy glow—and posture. None of those things are central to the story but they're there, quietly informing young minds about the world and I thought that was pretty cool.

Together, words and pictures construct a whimsical, delightful story that deeply respects the child. Last year, after our yearly author visit, I was driving through downtown Montgomery to have dinner with my wife (in the passenger seat) and Mac Barnett ( in the back seat). The only thing that could make this better is that we get sequel after sequel after sequel following Leo and Jane.

It’s about friendship, about how sometimes leaving some things behind could lead you to better things. Blue pages from beginning to end create almost an aged look to the pages at times and a glow on others. 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. Leo, the ghost whom most people can't see, leaves his home when the new inhabitants make him feel unwanted. Delighted to have finally found a friend, Leo is torn - should he tell Jane that he is not what she thinks, and risk losing her?