Aggie and the Ghost

by Matthew Forsythe

From Matthew Forsythe, the creator of the acclaimed and beloved Pokko and the Drum, comes a surprising and pleasing 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 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.

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Ghosts, Friendship, Childrens, Fantasy, Humor

64 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 2025

About the author

Matthew Forsythe is an author and illustrator living in Los Angeles.

His first book, Pokko and the Drum, won the Charlotte Zolotow Honor for picture book writing and his second book, MINA, was a Governor General Awards finalist.

He was also a designer on several animated shows including Adventure Time, The Midnight Gospel and the Oscar-nominated film, Robin Robin.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howling (in a properly ghostly fashion) over this! It's the expression in the ghost's eye. It KILLS me! Also, this is not the story I as expecting at all, with so many recent ghost stories (Gustavo the Shy Ghost, Leo, Ghosts in the House, Witch Hazel, etc.) that are about befriending a ghost . . . Hilarious!

[Ileana (The Tiniest Book Club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hier ist es, mein diesjähriges Lieblingsbilderbuch für die Spooky Season!

Aggie freut sich auf ihr zukünftiges Leben allein. Zu früh gefreut: es spukt in ihrem neuen Haus! Ein anhängliches Gespenst folgt ihr überall hin. Darum stellt Aggie ein paar Regeln für ihre*n unerwünschte*n Mitbewohner*in auf: nicht im Dunkeln spuken, keine Socken stehlen, nicht den ganzen Käse essen. Laut Gespenst sind das einfach zu viele Regeln. Bald ist jede einzelne gebrochen und Aggies Schal, den hat der Geist auch noch um. Doch dann verschwindet der Spuk von einem Tag auf den anderen. Aggie ist jetzt allein, wie sie es sich gewünscht hat. Aber irgendetwas fehlt. Also stellt sie eine weitere Regel auf: das Gespenst soll bitte nie auf einen Besuch vorbeikommen. Jetzt sind die beiden sehr glücklich, aber beste Freunde werden sie in diesem Leben nicht mehr (der Käse!).

„Aggie und der Geist“ ist eine warme, bezaubernde und mit trockenem Humor erzählte Story mit kurzen, prägnanten Sätzen. Ich bin einmal mehr entzückt von Matthew Forsythes einfachen, aussagekräftigen Illustrationen und der wunderschönen Farbgestaltung.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I won't lose, said the ghost. Ghosts are very good at tic-tac-toe."

I may know a thing or two about ghosts. Every single house that I have ever lived in had a special friend floating around. Some of them were fun while others freaked me out.

The story was super cute and really funny. I had no idea that ghosts had favorite activities. The art was stellar. I loved the colors and it brought every page to life. Great read for all the ghouls!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet rainy day book

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that your ghost is not going to follow your rules.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A high page count for a picture book, but not a lot of words. A girl moves into a house with a ghost. She finds the ghost annoying and tries to lay down some ground rules. Eventually, the ghost leaves and the girl misses having it around, but it takes awhile to get there. If that was the point of the story, it wasn't earned. I can see where some people find this charming, but I found it flat.

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking LOVE this picture book and I hope it wins all the awards. Simple text that surprised me at every turn of the page and the illustrations are SO GOOD.

[Lauren | Wordsbetweenlines · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I really like for cuz she was like one rule ‘do not visit me from time to time.’ And then when she had an umbrella the ghost was an umbrella.”

“I liked it when she made all the rules and then she added one more. And when the ghost came back from time to time.”

“I liked it when they played tic tac toe. And my favourite one was ‘do not visit me’.

I know I usually let the kids do the whole review for kids books, but I’m chiming in. I LOVE the art in this book. The story was so charming and this was an easy 5⭐️ from me.

This is one well worth picking up, especially for fall.

Thank you simonandschusterca for such a charming gift!

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art in this book really takes the cake. As an introvert myself, the story of a girl setting boundaries with her ghost is cute and relatable. It's nice to be alone, but you quickly learn that some things are better with a friend... sometimes. Like I said in the beginning, the art is unique and lovely! I love the artists' color choices and use of colored pencil and paint, though I can't determine if it was digital or physical media--maybe a mix of both. The character design is adorable, too. I found the artists' website: https://www.comingupforair.net/#/sleep/. If you love his work like I do, then you have some goodies to look forward to!

It's a delightfully simple book with fantastic artwork and a relatable story.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute picture book about a rule-loving girl and the ghost guest who drives her nuts by breaking all her rules. There's sparse text to accompany the atmospheric illustrations in this important book about learning how to be a good friend. A charming story to read to children during Halloween or all year round.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! Aggie and the Ghost is full of humor, heart, and insight. It’s a wonderful story about making the best of unexpected relationships, learning to regulate yourself, and accepting both yourself and others. Oh and the tic tac toe feels so real and satisfying, and the characters really resonate long after you finish reading. I savored the art on every page.

[ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was soooooooooooooo charming! I absolutely love the illustrations -- as lively and fun to look at as Pokko and the Drum -- and a sweet little story with a nice message about meeting the people we love where they are. I'll definitely keep grabbing Forsythe's books when I see them.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Large and detailed illustrations make this an ideal read aloud , especially now as fall and Halloween season approach. This ghost is annoying and lovable all at the same time. Story takes a twist at the end.

[Holly Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aggie has a ghost in her house who doesn’t follow the rules. Argh! Aggie decides to take a hike to have some time alone. But who shows up? But after a big night of not following the rules, he’s gone! Scandalous. Using some reverse psychology Aggie figures out how to better titrate time with the ghost. Hilarious, deadpan humor done with the most mysterious and enchanting illustration and just the perfect number of words per page. Simply brilliant!

[Patricia Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! I loved the illustrations and colors.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fine with this story. Just fine. But, my 5 year old REALLY enjoyed it, making it more favorable.

[JD · Rating 3 out of 5]

cutest art in the whole world i hope aggie and ghost have future adventures

[Janneke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read my mom’s copy, it’s super cute! Love the art style!!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this rather unusual book, Aggie moves into a house only to discover that the place is haunted by a ghost. Despite her efforts to get rid of the ghost, the ghost refuses to comply with her rules. In fact, the ghost goes out of its way to break all the rules. Even when she takes a walk, the ghost comes along. Finally, the two play tic-tac-toe with the house as the prize. Will Aggie get to keep her house? And if she does win out over the ghost will living alone be all she expects? Forsythe's illustrations remind me greatly of Jon Klassen's work in all its strangeness. A story told with a versus feel to it leaving readers to wonder who's going to win out in the end. And like Klassen's work, the ending isn't what one might expect, leaving the reader in a tangle of ambiguity. But there is much to discuss and many opinions to be shared with a book like this one. Young readers may freely interpret the story in many different ways. Teachers and other adults will likely find reading and discussing this one with young readers to be an interesting exercise in different points of view. The muted colors found in the watercolor/colored pencil art allows the reader to focus on the feel and events of the story. And the fact that nothing stops Aggie from moving into a house on her own is likely to intrigue many a young reader. A thought-provoking story that readers aren't likely to forget in a hurry. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a dash of the unusual in the books they read.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aggie was excited to live on her own until she realized that her house was haunted. She tried to live alongside the ghost but it refused to follow basic rules; rules like don't eat all the cheese. Aggie tries going for a walk to obtain some alone time, but of course the ghost follows along. The ghost agrees that it stinks at following rules. And it's wearing Aggie's scarf! Aggie challenges the ghost to a game of tic-tac-toe after learning that it's very good at it. The game goes on for so long that eventually Aggie suggests that they go home. Aggie creates more rules and the ghost breaks all of them in one single night. In the morning, the ghost is gone. Aggie suddenly finds herself slightly lonely. She goes outside and states that she's made a new rule: the ghost must never ever visit her.

Cute story good for any time of the year; not necessarily a "Halloween" book.

[Rich Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pokko is one of my favorite read-aloud books, and while this Forsythe story doesn’t quite capture the same rhythm, it has the same fairy tale-esque storytelling and beautiful pictures. It’s a silly little ghost story without any scares, in a good way.

[Sabine Ibing]

Aggie freut sich darauf, endlich in ihr eigenes Haus einzuziehen – bis sie feststellt, dass dort bereits ein Geist wohnt. Das Zusammenleben läuft mehr schlecht als recht; nirgendwo hat sie ihre Ruhe. Wohnt man zusammen, so muss man auch Rücksicht nehmen! Also stellt Aggie Regeln auf, die der Geist befolgen will: Kein Spuken nach Sonnenuntergang. Kein Stehlen von Socken. Käse aufessen verboten. Doch der Geist hält sich leider nicht gerne an Regeln, bricht sie alle. Aggie fordert ihn völlig entnervt zu einem Wettkampf in Tic-Tac-Toe heraus – wer gewinnt, bekommt das Haus. Ein herrliches Bilderbuch, das mit viel Humor geschrieben ist und eine Menge Diskussionen zum Zusammenleben bietet.

Da sitzt Aggie, die versucht, im Bett zu lesen, während ihre Bücher, Stifte und Teetasse über ihr hinwegfliegen – ein schönes Bild. Klar, das sie das Spuken in der Dunkelheit verbieten möchte. Darf man lesende Menschen stören? Eine Regel lautet, «Keine Socken klauen», daneben die Illustration von unserem Geist, der der sich mit mehreren Socken von Aggie davonmacht – oder ihren Käse frisst. Darf man von anderen etwas wegnehmen? Wie fühlt der sich, wenn er seine Sachen sucht? Auf der einen Seite ist Aggie ohne den Geist nie allein, fühlt sich gestört, er nervt. Dann, als der Geist wirklich auszieht, beginnt sie zu spüren, dass ihr etwas fehlt. Er fehlt, mit all seinen Fehlern. Wirklich?

Auch in einer Freundschaft muss man manchmal Grenzen setzen – oder Kompromisse finden. Das Gleiche gilt für das Zusammenleben. Eine Geschichte, die mit viel Emotion erzählt wird und die Lesenden sich fragen, wie es denn ausgehen mag. Aber auch das Ende ist humorvoll gesetzt. Sagen wir so: «Obwohl es schön wäre zu sagen, dass sie die besten Freunde wurden – wurden sie nicht.» Darunter eine Illustration: ein kleiner Käserest. Ein Bilderbuch, das viel Sprengstoff zum Diskutieren bietet, denn das Aushalten von anderen, das Zusammenleben, zusammen in verschiedenen Gruppen zu sein, bedeutet Rücksicht, Respekt, Kompromiss – und die Grenzen zieht jeder etwas anders. Wann ist es an der Zeit, Grenzen zu setzen – und wie stellt man das an. Thematisch ein klasse Kinderbuch, da es das alles mit viel Humor beleuchtet. Hier wird mit stimmungsvoll mit zarten Naturfarben in Aquarell und Aquarellkreiden gearbeitet, mit viel Handarbeit; vielleicht ein bisschen am PC aufgearbeitet. Ein wenig Grusel, ein wenig Herbststimmung – das Buch passt in die Jahreszeit. Es ist eine großartige Geschichte für Kinder und alle Erwachsenen werden es auch lieben – den Humor, den das Bilderbuch begleitet. Das ist ganz großes Bilderbuchkino! Der Rotopol Verlag gibt eine Altersempfehlung ab 4 Jahren. Passt – eben auch Allage … Empfehlung!

Matthew Forsythe ist ein preisgekrönter Autor, Comiczeichner und Illustrator. Seine Illustrationen finden sich in Werken namhafter Autor*innen, darunter Kirsten Hall und Lemony Snicket, und wurden in zahlreichen Publikationen veröffentlicht, beispielsweise in der New York Times und im Wall Street Journal. Sein erster Comic «Ojingogo» (2008, Drawn & Quarterly) wurde für einen Eisner Award nominiert und mit dem Doug Wight Award als bester experimenteller Comic ausgezeichnet. Der ehemalige Hauptdesigner der Zeichentrickserie «Adventure Time» (Cartoon Network) und Designer des Oscar-nominierten Stop-Motion-Weihnachtsfilms “Rote Robin” (Netflix) lebt heute in Montreal, Kanada.

[Amber Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teaches children that it’s okay to choose friends based on shared values, and it also shows that even when those things don’t align, we can still find healthy and joyful ways to connect – like playing tic-tac-toe. I highly recommend adding this one to your shelf.

In Aggie and the Ghost, author and illustrator Matthew Forsythe creates a smart female protagonist who reassesses her needs, learns how to problem-solve, and mostly gets what she wants (introverts, the clever ending is for you). The story’s repetition and brief sentences will appeal to beginning readers, and the double-page-spread art is nicely measured, particularly at page-turns. As for the expressive characters, Aggie’s gnome-like appearance is endearing, with the shapeshifting ghost playing a whimsical counterpart. Forsythe’s style of aesthetically pleasing, textured watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations features a soft palette of fall colors, especially fitting for this slightly spooky tale. Bonus: readers will enjoy spotting the ghost's eye throughout.

Released in August 2025, Aggie and the Ghost was one of my most anticipated picture books of 2025! I’m predicting a nomination come ALA award season. Companion hands-on activities inspired by Aggie and the ghost include:

Tic Tac Toe:

Playing an epic game of tic-tac-toe with classmates, friends, or family, and inventing classroom/house rules for the game, just like Aggie

Ghost Snack Recipes:

Creating a "superstitious and nutritious" recipe for a ghost snack, like mud tarts or earwax truffles.

Rule Creation:

Boost your classroom community and support SEL by discussing and writing down a list of classroom rules, such as "No haunting after dark," which translates into level zero or no talking when the classroom lights are turned off. Take it a step further by imagining how a ghost might break them and creating consequences.

Drawing and Art:

Sketching or painting scenes from the book, focusing on the humor and visual gags in the illustrations, or creating your own "shapeshifting" ghosts!

Storytelling:

Write your own story about meeting a ghost, focusing on how you would establish rules or try to become friends with it.

Sharing and Friendship:

Discuss what it means to share a home or classroom and how to live with someone whose habits you find annoying, but who you also miss when they're gone.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosts, tic-tac-toe, rules, and cheese mix together to form an intriguing tale with an ending, which leaves with the last, odd twist.

Aggie is super excited to finally live on her own and even has her house prepared. But she didn't know about the ghost, who haunts it, and he's making things complicated. When enough is enough, she creates a list of rules for him to follow: no eating the cheese, no stealing socks, no haunting at night, and more. The ghost, however, is following any of the rules. Fed up, she heads outdoors to clear her head, but just when she thinks she's enough the peace and quite, the ghost hangs right next to her. Determined to put an end to the problem, she challenges him to a game of tic-tac-toe...and this leads to unexpected happenings.

This isn't a sweet book completely but takes on a hint of melancholy while weaving in a slight hint of humor. Aggie's excitement is palpable as she heads into her home by herself, and curiosity rises as the ghost cause little issues around her. Aggie's situation and frustration is very understandable...and yet, the reader can't help but sympathize a little with the ghost, too. And be frustrated with it. It creates an odd balance that works and draws in. The tic-tac-toe is a clever way to build tension with a nod of playfulness as the 'huge' contest unfolds...and it carries consequences. All of it stays very age appropriate and holds some important messaging, but not in the way a reader might expect.

The images bring over each scene with care and stick to the dimmer side...for the haunting, I guess. But these allow listeners to flip through the story on their own and enjoy the plot themselves. There are also enough little details to discover something new each time. The text is kept short and concise, and weaves nicely with the illustrations. It creates an engaging read-aloud for even more impatient listeners.

And the ending...well, it doesn't slide into the usual picture book style, which leaves a little food for thought.

[Victoria Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I CANNOT WAIT for this to go on sale so I can hold my own copy in my greedy little (they really are very little) hands, turn each fabulous page, read it, then read it again. And then I'm going to sell the poop out of it. Matthew Forsythe is 3 for the win and after Pokko, that's saying a lot.

In some ways, this may be my favorite of Forsythe's last three books - not only does it have the visual fabulousness of Pokko and Mina (and their sassiness too), it also has a *slightly* darkish edge to it (more man-faced owls please!) that lends it a more moody and compelling (but still kid-friendly) vibe. Speaking of moody, IMO, the absolute best thing about Forsythe's books is that he lets his characters be. And by "be," I mean they are usually at that stage when kids are vying for control and power and not always at their sweetest. This is especially true with our Ghost and Aggie. Aggie and the Ghost, is basically a book-long stand off between a contrarian and a girl who likes things just so -- and that makes for good reading. Thankfully, the ghost doesn't become a rule follower, nor does Aggie become generous and easy-going but everything turns out mostly fine. Kids will totally get it.

You will laugh at their silly squabbles and squee at their cuteness, and they will get to play a lot of tic-tac-toe, and, as we suspected, learn to appreciate each other. In very small doses.

Imaginative, colorful, funny, and adorablest rule-breaking ghost ever. Slight hints of Klassen and some notes of Falconer.

THANK YOU to Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books for the DRC of this book.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aggie, a little gnome-like white-skinned human, is independent minded. She is excited to live on her own until she finds out that her house is haunted. A small, one-eyed ghost follows her around everywhere, and she is so irritated that she has a one-to-one with him and tells him the rules: “No haunting after dark. / No stealing my socks. / And stop eating all the cheese.” The ultimatum is not as successful as she wishes, until she tries the ultimate tool: reverse psychology.

Adults will cackle at the arch humor of the story, with Aggie an old soul who channels the frustrations of many an introvert. The classic enemies to friends children’s story is so funny with a clueless ghost and his many ways of getting on Aggie’s nerves. Although the setting is a dark rainy forest, Aggie is a kind person and the ghost is completely non-threatening. Kids will love seeing him sprout four legs in order to purloin Aggie’s socks, and looking for him hiding on almost every page. Forsythe’s trademark watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil artwork beautifully captures the forest and the supernatural goings-on. The language is simple enough for kids to enjoy and wryly humorous enough to please adult carers. It might even spark a conversation about knowing and enforcing one’s limits. The epic tic-tac-toe game that decides the future of the relationship is unforgettable.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It finally happened; Aggie is out on her own. With her own house, she is very excited except her house is haunted. It wouldn’t be that bad except the ghost never leaves her alone! The ghost follows her everywhere! Aggie finally has enough and sets the ghost down and gives it a set of rules – a long list of rules.

The ghost proceeds to break all the rules. Yes, Aggie gets mad. Hoping to get rid of the ghost, she has competition with the ghost. Aggie thinks she can win and yes, the ghost believes it will be the winner. You can just imagine how the competition goes. Who wins in the end? I think they both did.

I liked the thick pages of this book; I like cardstock pages in a children’s book. It feels meaty, and solid. The illustrations were bold and easy to follow, and the text was large and not wordy. I didn’t like how the author worded the ending, as it sounded confusing and choppy to me. The “Don’t ever visit me from time to time.” Perhaps it was the word choice too, I don’t know, it just didn’t flow for me. 3.5 stars

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this enemies to frienemies picture book, we have a ghost who follows Aggie to her new home and goes on to “haunt it” by breaking ALL the rules. Think: poltergeist activity + unruly roommate. They try to coexist and even battled it out in a game of tic-tac-toe. Until one day everything went radio silent.

This charming and moody story is one of my favorite top 3 children’s books for 2025! I’m smitten by its storyline, main characters, muted colors, and the overall feeling of melancholy. Aggie with her long lists was most hilarious yet so relatable! The pushback from Ghost was equally entertaining and created the perfect storm. The tension between the 2 felt subtle and I enjoyed the suspense working up to their conflict-resolution.

The ending is perfect. The tone is perfect. And the execution, illustration, language, and read aloud experience with this book is perfect. Any story that deserves a reread is golden.

Love this one and will always recommend.





Thank you Simon & Schuster / Simon Kids for a gifted copy.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story really cracked me up, especially the epic tic-tac-toe game that somehow lasts for days. Kids will enjoy/relate to the ghost's complete disregard for Aggie's house rules. I was genuinely surprised and amused when the resolution of the conflict ended up being:

"it would be nice to say they became the best of friends--they did not."

Ultimately the ghost moves out and stops haunting the place, but he still periodically vists. That uneasy truce becomes the sweetspot for their friendship. Very rare to see a story about setting boundaries with a slightly toxic/annoying friend (or ghost) in a children's picture book.

Visually, this reminded me a bit of a Jon Klassen book, in that it utilizes simple shapes, and a deliberately limited colour palette. However, while Klassen typically works in dark, earthy tones, Matthew Forsythe's uses blues and pinks to invoke a rainy day atmosphere.

4.5 stars rounded up.

[Michelle Mallette · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sweet tale of friendship and compromise, order-loving Aggie tries to resolve a conflict with the ghost who shares her house. She keeps setting boundaries and the ghost keeps breaking them. They decide to resolve it by playing tic-tac-toe, the classic "no-win" game, but end the day exhausted, with no winners. Surprisingly, the ghost soon leaves, but then Aggie realizes she is a bit lonely. How the two find a detente is a sweet story with a comical squabble to the very last page. Forsythe, a Canadian living and working in Los Angeles, brings a whimsical and quiet humour to the story and illustrations. They are perfect for lapsharing, though not quite as good in a large storytime setting. I'm not an expert but the illustrations look hand-drawn in watercolour and pencil crayons. I wish publishers would include that information in the copyright page! My thanks to the Grand Forks (B.C.) & District Public Library for including this title in its children's picture book collection.