To Catch a Ghost

by Rachel Michelle Wilson

A charming and humorous tale about the new girl who is determined to stand out at show-and-tell... by catching a ghost!



Bringing nothing to show and tell is like wearing shoes without socks.

It stinks.

So, when all you got is nothing, you need to catch yourself a something.

And if you've got gumption, that something could be a ghost.



Show-and-tell isn't for the faint of heart and if you show up empty-handed it's a surefire way to ensure that you're gonna get... ghosted! So, buckle up that belt, grab your camera, and ready your ghost trap! Of course, in order to build the perfect trap, you'll have to get to know your ghost first... will gardening and games complicate things?



A scary good tale about friendship and acceptance -- brought to life with Rachel Michelle Wilson's playfully charming illustrations!

Genres: Picture Books, School, Ghosts, Childrens, Halloween, Humor, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published July 1, 2025

Reviews

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC and fell in love with this story. Things readers will enjoy:

* the cold open (before the title page) that will get readers talking
* the step-by-step process shared for catching a ghost
* the way the ghost is playfully hidden in the illustrations
* word choice such as:
- gumption
- Climb. Crawl. Camouflage. (I’m a sucker for alliteration)

Can’t wait to read this to my 4th graders in the fall!

[Elayne Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love signage, and the book I want to share today has one of the best "sign setups" (esp. when paired with the title) I've ever seen in a picture book. (Yep, I've said it.) It's simple and brilliant, and the opening to Rachel Michelle Wilson's "To Catch a Ghost."

Tab through the photos to see that endpaper. I mean, doesn't that tell you everything you need to know about the stakes?

But Rachel, durn her, doesn't rest on her "excellent opening endpaper" laurels:

Kid 1: You new?
Kid 2: Yeah.
Kid 1: Got anything for show-and-tell on Friday? We take it pretty serious around here.
Kid 2: How serious?
Kid 1: Drew was the only kid who brought nothing last time.
Kid 2: Who's Drew?
Kid 1: Exactly.

As the story kicks off, that established tension continues to bake. When you read it, you'll see why I couldn't help but fall for the plot, which parallels so many children's experiences with catching various forms of wildlife (🤔, though in this case, wilddeath?).

Still, what makes me LOVE the book is the underlying understanding of children's innate tenderness and compassion. (It almost makes me cry, wondering how so many of our fellow humans lose this? Or maybe I'm just in despair about our government right now.) Let's just say, Kid 2 aka Sam, DOES bring something awesome to show-and-tell, even if it's not exactly per the original plan.

It's a gorgeous, genuinely child-centered, and relatable book, and when you next hit the bookstore, consider yourself advised to catch it.

[Cortney Dirks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply do not have enough amazing words for this delightful book. After my kids loved her first book so much, I was excited to get this one when it came out and it even SURPASSED my hopes! My kids LOVE it and I have Littles ranging from 2-13 and yes, my 13yo son sits and laughs along while I read it to my little ones. It’s so darn whimsical and funny and lovable and it reads aloud extremely well and the art is quirky and FULL of personality and I could go on and on and on. My kids LOOOOOOOOOOVE it. It has easily become a family favorite and Rachel Wilson has quickly become one of our favorite authors. We’ve legitimately read it over 300 times since we got it and the requests don’t show signs of slowing down. I don’t want to spoil the story, but suffice it to say that the show and tell stakes are serious but at the end of the day, she catches something so much greater than a ghost. The story is full of heart and humor, but it’s also all the little details. The things hidden in the art that make the words so much funnier or the heart part feels so much more poignant and the pages at the beginning and end add so much. My kids have only gotten this excited about the extra pages when they’re reading Mo Willems pigeon books. I simply cannot praise this book enough.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting a new school, a girl discovers that show and tell is coming and they take it very seriously. So she has to do something incredible. Perhaps she can catch a ghost! There are steps to catching your ghost. You must look under, between and over, checking everywhere. Once you have found your ghost, it’s time to observe them so you can understand them. If all else fails, try pizza. Now it’s time to build your ghost trap! Don’t hesitate, get them! But just maybe, you might like your ghost too much to trap them for long.

This picture book takes on the format of both a ghost-catching manual with chalkboard-like pages and also tells the story of a girl and her ghost. The clever humor of the format and the story is matched nicely with a big heartedness. The illustrations are gloriously bold, moving briskly between close ups and far off perspectives.

A spirited look at ghost catching. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Kris Coronado · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an utter delight! My kiddos were already HUGE fans of Rachel Michelle Wilson’s “How to Pee Your Pants … the Right Way” so we eagerly awaited the release of her next picture book. And wowie zowie, we were not disappointed! This is already a family favorite. The concept itself is entertaining, but the execution is BRILLIANT. Quite humor coupled with an unexpected poignant resolution will make this a book kids and adults alike will eagerly return to. And yes, this book features a ghost, but lumping it into an only “Halloween” category would be a mistake. This is a story we’ll be enjoying throughout the year!

[Professor Cindy Judd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this adorable picture book by Rachel Michelle Wilson. The "hook" at the beginning is so clever. Right from the opening of the book (literally on the inside cover), we learn that the setup for catching the ghost is an upcoming show-and-tell and the kids in their class take it very seriously. (No pressure for the new kid, Sam, right?) So, Sam decides she is going to catch a ghost and wow the kids in her class. We follow Sam as we learn step-by-step how to find, observe, and catch a ghost. Along with Sam, we learn that maybe the most important thing isn't capturing a ghost but making a new friend instead.

[Ashley Urquhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The design of this book is really interesting and I enjoyed the illustrations, but they all had some mild blurring effect on them. It was obviously intentional, but it serves to make it feel like the pages are all badly photocopied. With that being said, I liked that the book included a fun little prologue type of section. I thought the rest of the book was interesting and different as well.

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Tara Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story! The new kid has to catch a ghost for show and tell. Once the ghost is caught the kid doesn't want to keep him locked up, so he let's the ghost go.
Great vocabulary and story progression for read alouds and early readers!

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember that deep fear in K-2nd grade, realizing I'd forgotten to bring something for Show & Tell. This picture book has all the feels: fresh story & darling illustrations.

Themes: ghosts, elementary school show & tell, humor
Ages: K-2nd grade
Pub year: 2025

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story with kid appeal: the new girl needs something for show-and-tell and... well... she has nothing, what better way to camouflage that than to bring a ghost for show and tell. A humorous new-kid-in-class story.

[Ardith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is really funny and surprisingly touching. Highly recommended!

[Terri Jeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hit with my 10 and 7 year old. Cute, super easy read and it has pizza!

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Heidi Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amusing and relatable.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of heart. So tender!

[Brittany Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfection! I love Halloween books and the style of the illustration and creative prose are a delightful combo. My sons are obsessed!

[Emily Haage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, cute story to introduce the idea of show-and-tell.

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute picture book about catching a ghost for show and tell at school.