Riel Nason

Made of a quilt, rather than a sheet like all of his friends and family, the spectral little hero of this charming Canadian picture-book often feels left out of the spooky hi-jinks. Not as light as his peers, he has trouble floating and dancing through the skies, as they do. On Halloween, when the other ghosts hover in the trees, observing the fun, the little quilt ghost usually had to drape himself over something like a clothesline, in order to see anything. But then one Halloween, show more determined to get a better view, he draped himself over a porch railing, and was picked up by a human mother, taking her child trick-or-treating. Although terrified at first, the little ghost eventually found that he was in for an unusual but heartwarming experience - not to mention a sticky one! - for a ghost...

An adult novelist and a textile artist, author Riel Nason makes her picture-book debut with The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt, delivering a sweet, entertaining tale of a little specter who just doesn't fit it. In this sense, the story reminded me of Guido Van Genechten's Gilbert the Ghost, which I read recently, and which concerns a little pink spirit who isn't interested in being scary. As I mentioned in that review, stories of shy or friendly ghosts are not uncommon in picture-book land, from Robert Bright's thirteen-volume series about that New England ghost Georgie, to Jane Thayer's series of tales about Gus the Friendly Ghost. There's also Flavia Z. Drago's recent Gustavo, the Shy Ghost, Rebecca Green's How to Make Friends With a Ghost, and (of course) the classic comic-book character, Casper, the Friendly Ghost. All that said, Nason's story felt unique to me. I don't think I've ever seen this idea - a ghost being set apart from his fellows by the cloth from which he is made - explored before, and it made for an interesting variation on the friendly ghost story. I liked that the ghost had unusual ancestors who were checked tablecloths and lace curtains - that was a nice touch! The choice of both ghost story and quilt here makes sense, as Nason has also published such crafting titles as Modern Selvage Quilting: Easy-Sew Methods 17 Projects Small to Large and Sew a Modern Halloween: Make 15 Spooky Projects for Your Home.

As much as I enjoyed the story here, I also found the artwork from illustrator Byron Eggenschwiler immensely appealing. The subtle but lovely color palette used throughout, the decorative endpapers with their quilted design, the many wonderful Halloween figures - it was all lovely! Naturally, as someone interested in witchy depictions, I think my favorite part, visually speaking, was the mother in full witch costume, who picked up the quilted ghost to keep her child warm. All in all, a winsome little Halloween tale, one I would recommend to picture-book artists looking for ghost stories on the sweeter, rather than scary side. show less

I don't usually review picture books, but The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt calls for one.

This beautifully and cleverly illustrated Halloween book tells the story of a ghost who was a quilt in a world of white sheet ghosts. Apparently he had an ancestor who was a checkered tablecloth. It's a lovely Halloween story, but goes beyond that to tell a story of feeling like an outcast, but then using your uniqueness to do something special (along the lines of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer). There show more are many lovely details in the illustrations -- perhaps my favourite is the nod to Canadian trick or treaters with the children wearing ghost sheets -- one with ski mittens, one with a jacket over the sheet, and one with a toque on top of his head.

The author, Riel Nason, who I know from the adult novel The Town That Drowned, is also a quilter. What a great result of her combination of talents.

Recommended for: anyone looking for a charming and kind Halloween story, and quilters everywhere show less

Little Ghost Quilt returns in this follow-up to his initial picture book adventure, this time enjoying the delights of the winter season. Unlike his friends, who are all made of sheets, and who find cold weather too much to bear, our spectral hero enjoys the snow and cold, cushioned by his thicker fabric. Then one day he sees lights in the distance, and discover that the humans in town are celebrating some kind of marvelous holiday, putting up and decorating trees, baking cookies, and show more generally seeming to have a wonderful time. Delighted at this discovery, the Little Ghost Quilt wonders how he can share it with his friends, who are unable to venture out. Can he bring this celebration to them...?

Having greatly enjoyed author Riel Nason and illustrator Byron Eggenschwiler's The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt, I was quite excited to pick up The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise, and I was not disappointed! This winsome little spook, so different from the other ghosts in some ways, but fast friends with them all the same, has a lovely first Christmas here, and I loved pretty much everything about it! I loved that once again our ghostly hero's material sets him apart and gives him different experiences, and that he uses this to bring something wonderful and new to his friends. This isn't really a story about Christmas, as such, but about the Christmas trappings, as experienced by beings with no familiarity with them, and I loved that fact, as it made the outsider perspective feel truer and more convincing. Of course, I loved the homemade Christmas tree and decorations dreamt up by the Little Ghost Quilt and friends. Last, but certainly not least, I loved the visuals here, with the subtle but appealing color scheme, the use of light and shadow—that scene in which our ghost sits atop the clock tower, outlines in lights, is just marvelous!—and the adorable little specters. A lovely little seasonal tale, one I would recommend to young ghost lovers looking for holiday stories, as well as to readers who enjoyed this character's previous adventure. show less

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Tundra Books for this DRC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own.

When I first heard about this book a few years back, I knew that it would be something I'd like. I didn’t get a chance to read it at the original publication date; now that I have, I can see that my instincts were right and I’m more than pleased. In this story, a lonely little ghost has a hard time fitting in with his fellow show more young apparitions. Because he’s made of quilted fabric and not a thin sheet like them, he can’t hide or fly swiftly with swoops and turns, and as such gets teased for it. His unexpected experience on one special Halloween night with a little girl and her mother gives the little ghost a lesson in the importance of celebrating himself, quilted patterned and all.

Through her narrative text, author Riel Nason captures the emotions of anyone that is insecure about some aspect of themselves, uplifting their uniqueness while also recognizing the strength of their desire to fit in. This book is almost dialogue-free, recounting the action in real time. Little Quilt-Ghost (that’s what I’m calling him) is a sensitive fellow, and Nason really captures his thoughts and reactions to the world around him. One can’t help growing attached to him and sharing in his sweet smile when he finds the perfect circumstances for his unique composition.

Byron Eggenschwiler’s illustrations are lovely and create the atmosphere well, with a limited, gray-brown color palette with splashes of bright hues to indicate difference. It was a clever choice to make Little Quilt-Ghost’s patches in various shades of blue, which make him easy to see, even when he’s trying to hide. There are curious little details in the ghost house with hints about how they live. One of my favorite details are the old family pictures on the wall showing the ghosts interacting (knowingly?) with what seem to be former human residents of the house. The illustrations have a timeless feel yet also reflect the mid-1960s style of children’s book illustration. This seems supported by the lack of modern technology and somewhat old-fashioned costumes of the young trick-or-treaters, and especially by the turntable in the little girl’s house, which is a great touch.

There is a quirky, humorous tone to the book that never overshadows the overall sentiment; I can see older children who have a similarly offbeat and slightly different sense of humor liking it. (I’ve always been drawn to books about loners and those who are different, even those made of cloth.) I do wish that Little Quilt-Ghost could have stayed with the little girl. She and her mother were attached to him and handled him well, and I imagine that she'd be hurt to not find him there the next day. Their combined love and care would have guaranteed his face as a family heirloom, but that would also separate him from his ghost community, including his parents, which wouldn’t work. I also would have liked to see Little Quilt-Ghost’s parents and his interactions with them, as well as the parents of his peers.

The author has created a separate ghost world with its own set of rules and standards, which are fascinating but also raise a few questions. For example, she states that ghosts are afraid of humans and tend to avoid them, but this is odd considering that ghosts are traditionally previously deceased people, so how did these ghosts come about? Do ghost clans simply take up residence in random abandoned houses, or were the humans in the photos connected to them somehow? And exactly how did Little Quilt-Ghost come out looking the way that he did? Are the quilt qualities a form of recessive gene? His parents mention that his grandmother was a lace curtain; can different linens and fabrics reproduce with each other? The fact that I have these questions, which are the things that little me would also have asked, further adds to the appeal to me and is a testament to the book’s charm. show less