See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See

See the Cat #3

by David LaRochelle, Mike Wohnoutka (Illustrator)

The Geisel Award–winning creators of See the Cat and See the Dog return for a comical new spoof on primers—and this time the cat, the dog, and the book are grappling with some curious things they can’t see.

See the wind blow the leaves.
See the wind blow the leaves off the page.
See the wind blow the dog off the page.

It’s not easy to enjoy a picnic when you have unseeable interlopers to contend with! In a new trio of stories for beginning readers, the affable Max the dog and mischievous Baby Cakes the cat encounter a scare-happy ghost who has a run-in with a mirror, the wind at its blustery best, and a teeny-tiny fairy with a wayward wand who may have met her match. With playfully meta flair, author David LaRochelle and illustrator Mike Wohnoutka bring back their lovable characters for an amusing foray into things that go “Boo!,” “Whoosh!,” and “Hey! . . . Will you let me back into the book?”

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Animals, Ghosts, Fiction, Dogs, Childrens

64 pages, Hardcover

Published July 25, 2023

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: See the ghost.

Premise/plot: This is the third book in the series. The first two are See the Cat and See the Dog. All the books have the narrator speaking directly to the characters and directing the story. The characters interact with the narrator and amuse the audience--usually. The first story is about a ghost (invisible to readers and characters). The second story is about the wind (again invisible to readers and characters). The third story is about a fairy (again invisible to readers and characters). Though some characters are invisible, plenty of action happens.

My thoughts: I don't love, love, love this one as much as the first two books. The first two books are super-special to me. I just love and adore them. I do care about the characters. This one, like the first two, offer plenty of giggles and laughs. I still "really like" this one. I'm reminded that even books I merely "really like" can sound like gushing when I'm in the right mood. I do recommend all three books.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever read a children's book and it immediately strikes you that you haven't read a book that really covers that concept before? That was this book for me. Have I ever read a really good book about invisibility? I can't think of one.

I love this series. I loved it since day one and I will love it on day 1,000,000,000. As usual, readers are interacting with the characters and the plot itself in a way that is both fun and educational. Emerging readers will love this engaging and interactive reader.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do the wind, a ghost, and a fairy have in common? They are all things that you cannot see! Our friends Dog and Cat are back to explore the world of these unseen things. We start with Ghost - who can scare Cat and Dog but not flowers. And then move onto the Wind - which blows EVERYTHING off the pages - problematically. And then to the fairy! A very mischievous fairy who is so tiny that you cannot see them.
This was very, very cute - just like LaRochelle's other books with Cat and Dog. And the stories can certainly spark lots of fun conversations with kids. Highly recommended.

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the books in the See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog -- they are fantastic for young children to read on their own but also are great for family read alouds. The stories are funny, the illustrations are engaging, and the pacing is spot on.

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Candlewick Press. Opinions are my own.

[Kirsten Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do a ghost, the wind, and a fairy all have in common? You can't see them! Kids will chuckle aloud as they read this story about these invisible things messing with the cat and the dog who you may recognize from some previous books by LaRochelle.
When the wind blows the words off of the page, the book says "Uh-oh. Without the words, I don't know what to do". The interaction between the book and the reader is unique and entertaining, though the story keeps its repetitiveness necessary for early readers.
This book was fun and great for early readers!

[Sirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three beings that you cannot see appear in this book, each causing its own kind of mischief.

The narration is very simple and easy to read, perfect for emerging readers. But it's also very funny. There's something about the way these simple words are arrayed that makes the commentary hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times reading this short book, and I think your young reader might too—but if you're looking for a quick and fun read, I highly recommend checking this one out for yourself.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

More fun with words and reading. The words are mostly simple, but the text isn't afraid to use the right word even if there is a simpler alternative. The pictures coach the reader a bit in a natural way. And the humor is gentle and rewarding, from slapstick pictures of Cat and Dog pinwheeling about (with very different attitudes) to more meta humor when the wind runs out of dialogue after whooshing all the words off the page.

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

GUARDA IL FANTASMA Tre storie sulle cose che non si vedono di David LaRochelle e Mike Wohnoutka. Un nuovo bellissimo e simpaticissimo racconto illustrato a mo' di fumetto per bambini, terzo della serie, perfetto per divertirsi e ridere a crepapelle. Ad alta leggibilità. Da 4 anni ❤ https://ilmondodichri.com/guarda-il-f...

#guardailfantasma #fumetti #altaleggibilità #biancoeneroedizion

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carefully selected minimal words offer just starting off readers a chance to practice a word or two as they engage in this metafiction title filled with ghosts. Each of the 3 stories features one invisible character ~~ a ghost, the wind, and a small fairy (too small to see) who engage with Dog and Cat around their invisibility skills.

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is three fun stories about invisible things (ghost, wind, fairy) for the very early new reader. It has repetition and the pictures match the words to help children decode. I loved that the stories were interlinked.

Absolutely recommend for early reader collections in school and public libraries!

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. How cute! Three beginning reader stories about things you can’t see: a ghost, the wind, and a fairy, that sweetly tie together at the end. In true good picture book fashion, the pictures help tell the story and give reading support as well. Of course I’ve read the dog one, now I need to read the cat one.

[Sarah BT · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do these books keep getting better and better? I love the concept of each story containing a character you can't see. All three stories come together and intertwine and the humor is top notch. I adore this series. A worthy successor to Elephant and Piggie.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just too adorable and fun to read! Each story just gets better and better. It would be great for any library or storytime! It's really well done and a lot of fun to read.

Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant. It's got humor, low level words, fun pictures, and is just really smart. Shouldn't we all write about ghosts so we don't have to draw them?! This is my Geisel pick for the year. Seriously.

[Sandra Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Title is See the Ghost :three stories about things you can not see.

A great read aloud book, as a parent could put a lot of emotion into the reading. An interesting concept, things you can't see yet have an impact on you.

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first two books so I had to read this one too. The characters are adorable and the short chapters will make this book accessible for beginning readers. I didn't think this one was as engaging or funny as the previous books.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is cute and not scary, and it's a creative book for beginning readers, but I didn't find it nearly as funny as the previous two books in the series.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun sequel to add to the collection!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it. Kids will think it's funny.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart and funny. Great as an early reader or as a read aloud.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the other 2 books in this series better, but this one was still cute.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My readers are going to enjoy book 3 in this series. ❤️ these MN collaborators.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as "See the Cat," but it is still very cute and fun.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked "Story Number Two: See the Wind" the best.

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun addition to this series.

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid early reader

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was utterly delightful and I can't wait to put it on a grade list! Kids in storytime enjoyed it, especially See The Wind, when the wind blew all the words and characters off the page.

[Themountainbookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A humorous book making jokes about if you can see the ghost or not.