Ghost Cat

Miss Maggie McCullen is the lighthouse keeper of Port Carrick, where she lives with her cat, Sailor Boy, the narrator of this tale. After a long and happy life with Miss Maggie, Sailor Boy decides to stick around
for the hereafter and continue to help his owner with her lighthouse duties. The scraggly Siamese, who can choose to be visible or invisible—a fact that doesn’t bother Miss Maggie in the least—bounds around the
island, gleefully teasing visitors and accompanying Miss Maggie each night as she lights the lighthouse beacon. One stormy night, Miss Maggie trips on her way up the lighthouse tower, and it’s up to Sailor Boy
to fetch help for her and see that the beacon gets lit. Dusky plums and luminous golds flood Barry’s scratchy watercolors, through which the semitransparent Sailor Boy perches and pounces. Bunting’s
endearing ghost story is as cozy as they come, and young readers will appreciate both the fullness of the narrative and the notion of a beloved pet “living” past the grave.

Although no longer living, Sailor Boy, an opaque ghost cat, rendered in pen-and-ink, hasn’t left his owner’s side. This title is set in the 19th century, in a lighthouse in Port Carrick, Ireland. Miss Maggie McCullen and her faithful cat light the beacon each night to keep sailors safe on the hazardous coastline. Sailor Boy leads this clear, matter-of-fact first-person narrative, explaining that although a ghost, he retains his earthly shape and body but can choose to be invisible whenever he pleases. Sailor Boy teases lighthouse visitors with his haunting purrs and unseen pawings. One night, while Miss Maggie’s niece Cissie is visiting, Miss Maggie injures her ankle as she’s walking up the steps to illuminate the lamp of the lighthouse. It’s up to Sailor Boy, previously unknown by Maggie’s niece, to graciously show Cissie how to light the great warning beam. The charming text, paired with Barry’s gothic watercolor and ink illustrations, has a playfulness that may intrigue readers rather than spook them. An appended author’s note provides a brief history of lighthouses and their importance. VERDICT Certainly not a ghost story, this selection may work best paired with other lighthouse picture books and nonfiction titles on the subject. An additional purchase.