A New York Magazine Best New Book for Kids A LitHub Most Anticipated Children’s Book of 2025 A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year “This might be a perfect picture book.” — Quill & Quire (starred review) “ A solitary child and her rule-breaking ghost roommate learn the value of compromise in this cheeky picture book. — Shelf Awareness (starred review) “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. * This might be a perfect picture book. I love everything about Matthew Forsythe’s Aggie and the Ghost . I love Aggie. I love the ghost. I love the writing, the themes, the illustrations, and the close attention paid to page-turns, colours, and mood. Montreal artist Matthew Forsythe – comic artist, children’s book illustrator, and animation designer – tells the charming story of Aggie, a girl who moves into a new house and finds it’s haunted by a persistent, rule-breaking ghost. Aggie is never afraid – after all, the ghost isn’t scary. They’re just … annoying. They steal her socks, eat her cheese, keep her awake, and never leave her alone. And Aggie really values her alone time. She tries to establish some rules. The ghost listens, but doesn’t follow through. Frustrated, Aggie goes for a rainy day walk – only to be joined by the ghost, now wearing her scarf. So she challenges them to a high-stakes game of tic-tac-toe. If Aggie wins, the ghost has to move out. At first, they play seriously – but soon, they’re having so much fun that they both forget why they started. When they’re done, they head home. Aggie makes more rules, and the ghost breaks them and finally, finally moves out. Aggie enjoys her alone time every bit as much as she expected but … she misses the ghost, just a little. So she invites them back. They don’t live happily ever after, and that’s what makes this picture book so perfect. Aggie and the ghost are incompatible roommates, with different boundaries and lifestyles – and that’s okay. The ghost visits, but doesn’t overstay their welcome. Aggie keeps living her mostly solitary life. This book quietly teaches children that it’s okay to choose friends based on shared values and boundaries. But it also shows that even when those things don’t align, we can still find healthy, joyful ways to connect – like playing tic-tac-toe. -- Sal Sawyer ― Quill & Quire -- (starred review) * 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. Discover: A solitary child and her rule-breaking ghost roommate