The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt

Flying is definitely more difficult for a ghost made of a heavy quilt instead of a sheet, not to mention the fact that quilts can sometimes be hot and sweaty. The quilt ghost of this story encounters a family in the park, and the young child drops a big blob of melted ice cream on top of him, leaving him sticky and serving to emphasize how different he is from his friends and family. Mom tries to make him feel better by telling him about relatives made of tablecloths and lace, but to no avail. Then, on Halloween, the quilt ghost is “borrowed” by a human mom whose trick-or-treating ballerina daughter is cold. He ends up going home with the pair where the child sorts through her candy and then goes to sleep.

Nason’s gentle story acknowledges the difficulties of being different, even as she concludes that differences can lead to exciting adventures. Eggenschwiler’s digitally enhanced pencil drawings are done mostly in blacks, greys, and sepia tones, with splashes of blue for the ghost’s quilt, oranges for the Halloween décor, and pink for the girl’s tutu. His style is realistic, and the general lack of technology throughout suggests a setting in the recent past. OverallThe Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt, a quiet story, makes a good read-aloud, especially for little ones hoping to encounter only friendly apparitions.