Butterflies & Friendly Ghosts in These Fantastic Children’s Books

Wolfgang the ghost loves the meadow he haunts. He picks wildflowers, plays with his rabbit friend, stargazes, and, of course, participates in classic ghostly activities like casting spells and hiding. He longs to become like his hero — Mighty Hubert — who haunts an ancient castle. Mighty Hubert is retiring and looking for a successor, and Wolfgang decides to apply. But the more he practices being truly spooky, the more he wonders if he really wants to leave his meadow behind. This is such a sweet picture book, and I love the illustrations.

And here’s another sweet ghostly picture book! Maybe I should’ve saved it for Halloween roundups, but it pairs so well with my previous new release pick. Little Ghost has lived in the same house with his mom for a hundred years, but he’s never once tried to make friends with any of the neighbors. He’s too shy, and he worries he might scare them. When a new girl moves in next door, however, he can’t help but notice they have a lot in common. He so wants to be her friend. Halloween is the next day, so he hatches the perfect plan: He’ll dress up for Halloween and pretend to be a trick-or-treater! The two hit it off, but how will Little Ghost continue the friendship after Halloween?

María lives in a brand new country, and on the first day of school, a gift arrives on her windowsill from Mexico: a mariposa. The butterfly carries the memory of her old home on its wings, and it helps her feel more brave. Feeling the butterfly’s magic within her, María spreads her love with kind actions on her way to school. But all that magic flees at school, and she loses her confidence. At recess, she remembers the butterfly within her and decides to be brave. This is a beautiful, compassionate picture book about immigration, starting school, and making friends. Back matter includes an author’s note about magical realism and her journey from Mexico to the United States, as well as facts about butterfly migration.

This gorgeously illustrated picture book describes a different aspect of migration. Lucía lives in Mexico and loves her home and watching the butterflies migrate. When Papá has to leave to work farther north, she despairs. He comforts her by telling her he’s following the butterflies. When they return home for the winter, so will he. As the seasons pass, Lucía anxiously awaits the monarch butterflies’ return. This is a stunning and lyrical picture book.