* The third picture book from Forsythe confirms the author-illustrator’s trademark style, marked by
whimsical storytelling, absurd humor, and surprising page-turns.... Forsythe’s wry text is tight and deadpan, set against a richly rendered setting of softly blended peaches and blues, a bit more stripped down than in previous titles, holding a tone that is at once inviting and immersive—but with a gentle edge.... A subtle, sweet friendship story from a true original coming into his full picture-book powers.
Description
A LitHub Most Anticipated Children’s Book of 2025
“A book that captures the dance of unlikely bonds and a way to move from a place of acceptance.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
From Matthew Forsythe, the creator of the acclaimed and beloved Pokko and the Drum, comes a “subtle, sweet” (Booklist, starred review) picture book about rules. And sharing. And an epic game of tic-tac-toe.
Aggie is very excited to live on her own—until she finds out her new house is haunted. But no fear, the situation is nothing that can’t be fixed with a carefully considered list of rules: No haunting after dark. No stealing socks. No eating all the food.
But the ghost doesn’t like playing by the rules and challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe—winner gets the house.
Reviews
[T]he book as a whole successfully leans more toward weird than pedantic, eschewing a familiar friendship storyline for one that plenty of introverted youngsters will find resonant. There’s lots of potential here for beginning readers, with stealthy repetition, short but guiding sentences, and a steady, compelling pace, all elevated by snarky humor.
A witty year-round ghost tale that delivers a wonderfully unconventional conclusion.
[A] book that captures the dance of unlikely bonds and a way to move from a place of acceptance.
