A plucky child meets her match in Aggie and the Ghost, author/illustrator Matthew Forsythe's delightfully droll picture book about navigating rules and unlikely friendships.
Aggie, a pale-skinned, rosy-cheeked child, is "very excited" to live alone, but there's a problem: her new house is haunted. A shapeshifting "ghost follow[s] her everywhere," never giving her any alone time. Frustrated, Aggie establishes ground rules: "No haunting after dark. No stealing my socks." Aggie's attempt to set boundaries proves futile, forcing the pair into a spirited game of tic-tac-toe to win ownership of the house. A perpetual tie results in more edicts from Aggie; the ghost breaks "every single rule" that night, then departs the following day. A series of sequential art vignettes depict Aggie engaging in activities previously shared with the ghost, but she now feels "something [is] missing." She crafts one final, cleverly worded rule--"Don't ever visit me from time to time"--and reunites with her frenemy.
Forsythe's wry humor and whimsical illustrations are a masterclass in comedic timing. His signature watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil art appears more muted here, enhancing key moments and visual gags through strategic switches in palette. The page-turn to Aggie and the ghost's melodramatic stare-down, illustrated entirely in shades of terracotta, is so effective that Forsythe (Pokko and the Drum; Mina) uses it twice. Remarkable character design remains central to Forsythe's storytelling; the titular duo's opposing teardrop silhouettes reinforce that they are at odds. Fans of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen's collaborations are likely to appreciate Forsythe's style while introverts will surely sympathize with Aggie's efforts. --Cristina Iannarino, children's book buyer, Books on the Square, Providence, RI.