Debut author Emily Rosenthal and illustrator Thai My Phuong (Another Word for Neighbor) craft the charming, empathetic picture book Leroy Has Something to Say, about a silent gardening ghost who finds a kindred spirit.
Leroy, a white-sheeted ghost wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, tends to the plants in the abandoned greenhouse at Rosebud Manor. His azaleas and lilacs thrive, but when he tries to make friends with new residents by presenting them with a yellow rose (a token of friendship), they flee. Then Tara, a pigtailed, redheaded girl who uses an "Augmentative and Alternative Communication" (AAC) tablet to speak, moves in with her multiracial, plant-loving family. Leroy tries to connect by caring for the family's plants while they sleep, but they catch the soundless (but not invisible) gardener watering their bromeliad. Leroy presents a yellow rose to the family and Tara understands immediately: "You want to be friends." Tara demonstrates her tablet's text-to-speech features, empowering Leroy to communicate. The family and Leroy begin gardening together--just what Leroy "always wanted."
Rosenthal's text features measured, lilting sentences with poetic imagery to fertilize the imagination. The author, who uses AAC herself, includes a note to readers explaining that though someone may not speak, that doesn't mean "they don't have anything to say." Phuong's digitally colored graphite-pencil illustrations are comforting and use a soft, earth-toned palette to highlight Leroy's emotions: when Leroy is disappointed, the hues darken; when he's content, colors brighten, and transparent Leroy glows. Love for Leroy will likely take root in fans of Christy Mandin's Millie Fleur books and Tiffany Hammond and Kate Cosgrove's A Day with No Words. --Cristina Iannarino, children's book buyer, Books on the Square, Providence, RI.