Leo: A Ghost Story
| Author | Mac Barnett |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Nicol Zanzarella |
| Illustrator | Christian Robinson |
| Cover artist | Robinson |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's book |
| Published | 2015 |
| Publisher | Chronicle Books |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 52 |
| ISBN | 9781452131566 |
Leo: A Ghost Story is a 2015 children's book written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Christian Robinson.[1] It is about a ghost named Leo, who leaves his long-time home after a new family moves in. He eventually finds a new home with Jane, a young girl who befriends him. A short film based on the book was released in 2017. It was animated by Galen Fott and narrated by Nicol Zanzarella.[2]
Reception
Leo: A Ghost Story was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book in 2015.[3]
Kirkus Reviews wrote: "Robinson creates a vintage 1950s-'60s feel, offering up a raw version of M. Sasek. Together, words and pictures construct a whimsical, delightful story that deeply respects the child. And in Jane, they create a brilliant heroine whose powers lie within her wit, her open mind, and her freedom of play."[4]
Many reviews draw attention to the book's visual design. Erin Reilly-Sanders, writing for School Library Journal, notes: "Robinson solves the issue of a white ghost on a white page smartly by depicting Leo as a blue outline on white paper. Leo beautifully contrasts with the geometrically composed live humans, and Robinson finds some clever opportunities for depicting Leo’s transparency."[5] Allison Barney, at The Horn Book Magazine, states: "Robinson utilizes spot illustrations as well as single- and double-page spreads to great effect. . . . The text placement, different on every page, takes illustrations and word flow into account, drawing readers' eyes so that they take in the story in its entirety."[6]
Marjorie Ingall, writing for the New York Times, offers a summation of the book's central themes: "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."[1]
References
- ^ a b Ingall, Marjorie (9 October 2015). "'Leo: A Ghost Story,' 'Max the Brave' and More". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Fott, Galen (2017-06-01), Leo: A Ghost Story (Short, Family), Nicol Zanzarella, Weston Woods Studios, retrieved 2025-08-27
- ^ Times, The New York (2015-10-28). "The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2015". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
- ^ "LEO | Kirkus Reviews". Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ SLJ. "Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett | SLJ Review". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
- ^ Barney, Allison. "Calling Caldecott | Leo: A Ghost Story". The Horn Book. Retrieved 2025-08-27.