How to Make Friends with a Ghost
What’s inside...
How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green is a whimsical story that offers a guide to caring for a ghost. It provides humorous tips on how to feed, entertain, and protect a ghost, ensuring it grows up and grows old with you. This debut picture book combines quirky illustrations with the timeless theme of friendship. It includes tips such as providing the ghost's favorite snacks like mud tarts and earwax truffles, reading bedtime stories to the ghost, and protecting the ghost from being mistaken for whipped cream or marshmallow. The book is a perfect combination of offbeat humor, quirky and sweet illustrations, and the timeless theme of friendship.
Age
3-7
Length
40 pages
Text complexity
Character compass
The Child
The Ghost
Discussion points
What do you think it means to be a good friend to someone, or something, that's different from you?
How did the boy and the ghost show kindness and understanding to each other?
If you had a ghost friend, what activities would you like to do together?
Why do you think the ghost needed a friend?
How do you think the friendship between the boy and the ghost changed them both?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to express their feelings about friendship and inclusion, making connections to their own experiences with friends.
Discuss with your child the emotions displayed in the book, pointing out facial expressions and actions of the characters to enhance empathy skills.
Use the book as an opportunity to talk about the importance of accepting and celebrating differences in others.
Ask your child to imagine their own adventures with a ghost friend, which can foster creative thinking and storytelling skills.
After reading, consider engaging in a themed activity, like drawing a picture of a new ghost character, to make the reading experience interactive and memorable.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Empathy and Compassion
Explanation: The story portrays a nurturing friendship between a child and a ghost, demonstrating acts of kindness and understanding despite their differences.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to empathize with others who may seem different from them, teaching them to be compassionate towards all individuals.
Example Lesson: Imagination and Creativity
Explanation: The child in the book engages in various creative activities with the ghost, such as cooking and storytelling.
Real-World Application: It encourages children to use their imagination in play and interactions, helping them to explore and express their creative abilities in daily life.
Example Lesson: Lifelong Friendship
Explanation: The narrative follows the friendship from the child's youth through to her old age, illustrating the enduring nature of true friendship.
Real-World Application: This can teach children the value of maintaining long-term relationships and the joy and support lifelong friends can provide.
Example Lesson: Acceptance of Loss
Explanation: As the story culminates, it gently introduces the concept of loss and the permanence of some relationships in a tender way.
Real-World Application: Helps children to understand and accept the concept of loss and remembrance in a comforting manner.