When you think a book called Ghost Cat is going to be a “spooky” Halloween story but instead you get a sweet story about loss (with a special surprise at the end) your day is somewhat made.
It is nice to know that Kevan Atteberry was able to surprise me. Even if I had not found this book around Halloween, my thoughts would still go towards it being about a ghost and Halloween. Therefore, I was happily surprised when I learned that it is a story about a boy who thinks he has a ghost cat in his house. The young boy thinks the ghost is a cat because it acts like a cat. And he should know how cats act as he used to have one. It is a tad spooky (after all we are talking about a ghost), but it is not a scary ghost or one that has anything to do with Halloween. This little detail makes a big difference by making this an anytime of the year book.
The other bonus is, if you plan on doing the surprise at the end (SPOILER) by getting another cat to replace the beloved other pet, this might be a fun way to introduce said new pet to your child. And, to be honest, this twist at the end was a surprise to me. While this book is short and simple, there is a lot packed into the pages.
The illustrations are soft, sweet and ghost-like but without being “spooky-spook ghostly.” There are blues, greys and other “spooky” colors. But nothing is overly intense. The characters are simplistic but not simple. There is a lot to enj0y visually as well as enjoying the somber, but not sad, story.