There’s a Ghost in the Garden

K-Gr 3–Maclear’s latest picture book is a gentle meditation on the often magical relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. A grandson, who seems about eight, is vacationing with his grandfather, when he witnesses signs of a ghost in the garden. Small gifts appear, objects move or are broken, but nothing is witnessed. His grandfather opines there are likely lots of ghosts in the garden. He reminisces about a stream, trees, and plants that were there in his childhood—more ghosts. Together they gather the ghosts’ gifts and make an end-of-visit project together. The focus is on the intergenerational bond and love 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. It’s a soothing bedtime story or a useful way to open a narrative about loss and remembrance.