Hip Hip Hooray!!! It’s a Book Birthday Post! Today we are welcoming GILBERT & THE GHOST into the world!

Written by Heather Stigall / Illustrated by Jess Mason
Beaming Books / August 19, 2025

Book Synopsis:

The ghost at 632 Savannah Street is real . . . right?

Gilbert often feels invisible, just like the ghost living at 632 Savannah Street. Despite his family’s disbelief, Gilbert leaves gifts for the ghost: a friendship bracelet, a plate of cookies, even a drawing with a note. When each disappears one by one, Gilbert finds that believing and friendship are worth the effort.

For kids who might often feel unseen, Gilbert and the Ghost is a ghostly tale of overcoming obstacles and finding friendship in mysterious places. Gothic, whimsical illustrations make this picture book perfect for spooky season, while its earnest themes make it worth a read all year round.

ME: I love books that can be used year-round! I also love when authors stop by to share a bit about how their books came to be…let’s welcome a dear kid lit friend of mine, author Heather Stigall.

HEATHER: Thank you, Vivian, for celebrating Gilbert and the Ghost’s book birthday on your blog! This story began with two things – a title idea and a childhood memory. The title came about during Tara Lazar’s 2020 StoryStorm challenge. Because I like wordplay, I thought “ghost writer” had potential for a picture book title. The childhood memory came from my happy place – the beach. When I was a child, my parents and aunt and uncle rented the same beach house for a few weeks each summer. One year, before we left our rental for the season, my cousins and I hid a note somewhere in the house, hoping to find a reply when we returned the following year. Surely someone would want to be our pen pal! The next summer, we checked our secret hiding spot. Did anyone reply? No. But our note was missing! Someone must have read it, right? Maybe they did reply, but another renter received the note before us. So, we tried again, for several years, believing that eventually we would become friends with another beach lover, even if we never met. With that memory in mind, I wondered if I could write a story about a child who wrote notes to a ghost he believed lived in his neighborhood, even though no one else believed. A friendship story between a child, who understood what it felt like to be invisible, just like a ghost, and a ghost, who might want a friend too. So, I did!

But the story doesn’t end there. Just like Gilbert in his pursuit to befriend the ghost he believes lives in his neighborhood, this book’s publication journey took persistence, resiliency, and belief. After several revisions and rounds with my critique partners, I began querying the manuscript. Among the usual rejections, I received a few requests for more work from agents and one offer of representation. After signing with my agent, we went out on submission to publishers. That resulted in several passes until an editor from Beaming Books expressed interest. But they didn’t offer immediately. The team had some questions about the story’s ending. So, I explained my vision for the story and crossed my fingers while waiting for a response. I was thrilled (and relieved) to receive a book deal with expected publication in fall 2024 (nope, that’s not a typo). In spring 2023, after I had completed edits and seen cover sketches for the book, my agent decided to step back from agenting, my editor was let go, and Beaming decided to push Gilbert’s publication to fall 2026 (still not a typo). It was a rough spring! Fast forward one more year: I had found a new agent, and Beaming Books decided to published Gilbert in fall 2025. That brings us today. Finally, after years of effort and waiting and believing, Gilbert and the Ghost is out in the world for readers to enjoy! 

ME: Oh my goodness! What patience! What persistence! We are so happy you never gave up on this story, dear Heather! And I know that many blog followers will relate to and sympathize with your journey…you give all of us hope!

Heather’s (Author) Bio:

Heather Stigall uses her experience with children and her degrees in Child Development, Psychology-based Human Relations, and Social Work to create stories that speak to kids. She is an active volunteer for the Eastern PA Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, a member of the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, and a wife and parent to five children and one pup. When she’s not writing, you can find Heather hanging out with her kids (hopefully at the beach), reading, eating chocolate, baking, or creating all sorts of treasures. She is the author of GILBERT AND THE GHOST (Beaming Books, 2025) which Kirkus Reviews praised as “a surefire hit for readers looking for seasonal fun.” Her debut picture book, PAISLEY’S BIG BIRTHDAY (Clavis Publishing, 2023), was a 2023 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award nominee and is available in six languages. You can connect with Heather through her website, HeatherPierceStigall.com, and her social media links at https://linktr.ee/HeatherStigall.

Jess Mason’s (Illustrator) Bio:

Jess Mason is an illustrator, cat lover, and avid reader. She graduated with first-class honors in illustration from the University of Worcester in 2018. Since then, she has worked on twelve middle-grade and picture books. Jess happily resides in a tiny cottage in Worcestershire, England with her beloved cat, Steve.

To find out more about Heather Stigall:

Website: https://www.heatherpiercestigall.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherpstigall

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_stigall7/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/heatherstigall7.bsky.social

You can find ordering options for Gilbert and the Ghost on Heather’s website as well as free downloadable educator materials

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us…and if you have a few more minutes, you can help this book become a success:
Buy the book
Review the book
Tell friends about the book (Please share on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Cover Reveals are one of my favorite posts. For me, it’s like a sonogram picture, our first chance to get a look at this new book baby that will soon enter the world. And when dear friend and fabulous author and dedicated teacher/librarian told Jolene Gutierrez me she had just gotten a peek at the cover of her upcoming book, I knew it was something I would want to share with all of you. Happily, author Jolene stopped by today to chat about UNBREAKABLE: A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY IN AN AMERICAN INCARCERATION CAMP, masterfully written by Jolene Gutierrez and gorgeously illustrated by Chris Sasaki.

ME: WELCOME!!! We are so thrilled you are here, dear Jolene. Please share a little bit about how and why this book came to be.

JOLENE: I grew up in northeastern Colorado, but both of my parents’ families were from southeastern Colorado. When I was 13, I spent part of the summer with my grandparents and other family members in towns like Lamar, Wiley, McClave, and Hasty. I was talking to my maternal grandmother one day and she mentioned the “Japanese American Camp” down the road. 

My naive mind didn’t understand. I was imagining some sort of sleep-away summer camp, so I was shocked when my grandma explained that Japanese American people had been unfairly imprisoned in a camp called Amache during World War II. I was angered by the injustice and frustrated that this was the first time I’d heard that dark history. 

As a teacher, I’ve taught the history of Japanese American Incarceration Camps for the last 25+ years, and when my friend Dan Yoshii learned of my interest, he introduced me to Minoru “Min” Tonai. Min had been sent to Amache with his mother and siblings while his father was held unjustly by the FBI. The more I talked to Min, the more I became determined that his story should be shared widely. We started working together in 2017 and in 2023, we signed the contract for Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp, edited by Meredith Mundy and published by Abrams Books. Min helped choose our amazing illustrator, Chris Sasaki, but Min passed away in September of 2023. I wish he were still with us but am so thankful that he knew his story would live on. Min’s adult children and I have been working together since then, with Min’s words guiding us: “We were prisoners of our own country, though we were not guilty of any crime, just our ancestry. There was no justice for us. I can’t get over it because it was wrong and I have to make sure that it never happens again to anyone else. I’m not afraid to speak up. The experience we had has determined me that no one else should ever, ever experience that again.” –Minoru Tonai

After Chris Sasaki, the fabulously talented illustrator, read our manuscript, they wrote, “I absolutely love love love this text. It speaks to me and my family. These are the stories I would love to tell, and it would be an honor to help spotlight new Asian heroes and memories for the world to read.”

When Min’s children and I met at this year’s Amache pilgrimage, I brought the cover art with me! We were all overjoyed to see Chris’s artwork in the place where Min and his family were over 80 years ago. Here’s Susan, me, John, and Teresa at Amache:

And. . .drumroll, please. . .here’s the GORGEOUS cover that Chris created for our book:

You can learn more about it HERE and preorder through any of the links.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1419772899

Chris Sasaki is an EMMY and ANNIE award-winning animation artist. With a rich career spanning over several high-profile studios, they have directed and developed content for Pixar, Tonko House, and Apple. Their impressive portfolio includes collaborations with LAIKA Entertainment, Blue Sky Studios, Disney Television Animation, DreamWorks, and the Jim Henson Company. In addition to their animation work, Chris is a celebrated figure in the literary world, known for their captivating picture books. Their achievements in this arena have earned them the prestigious Dilys Evans Founders Award from the Society of Illustrators.

GHOST(Illustratus / Chronicle Books), Home is a Window (Holiday House), Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist (Penguin Random House), Animal Architects (Simon & Schuster), Sakamoto’s Swim Club (Kids Can Press)

Literary representation by Kirsten Hall of Catbird Agency.

Minoru “Min” Tonai spent his entire life speaking out against the injustices committed against Japanese Americans and Japanese people living in America in the 1940s. Min volunteered his time, spoke publicly, and campaigned for the rights of all people. He was founder and president of the Amache Historical Society, board member of The UCLA Foundation, founder and president of Japanese American Korean War Veterans, and board president of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. In 2015, Japanese Emperor Akihito presented Min Tonai with the Order of the Rising Sun medal, Gold Rays with Rosette, for “promoting friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.” Min was interviewed twice for Densho’s oral history project, and he was involved in webinar panels including the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages and Vail Valley’s The Story of Amache, and documentaries including Denver Botanic Film’s Amache Rose and PBS’s Amache: An American Injustice.

Jolene Gutiérrez is an award-winning neurodivergent teacher librarian who has been working with neurodivergent learners at Denver Academy since 1995. Jolene writes for young readers and hopes her books will help some readers feel seen and will help others learn and grow in compassion. Her books have been printed in 9 countries and 8 languages. Jolene is an active member of SCBWI, part of the KidLitCollective group, and a co-creator of #KidlitZombieWeek and Picture Book Gold. Jolene is represented by agent Kaitlyn Sanchez and is a contributor to If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility and the author of Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (2026, co-authored with Minoru Tonai), Mamiachi and Me: My Mami’s Mariachi Band (co-authored with her son Dakota), The Ofrenda That We Built (co-authored with her daughter Shaian), Too Much! An Overwhelming Day, the Stars of Latin Pop series, Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks, and Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader. Find her online at www.jolenegutierrez.com or on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, or Threads @writerjolene.

ME: Oh my goodness!!! What a post!!! Huge thanks to Jolene for opening up her journey to us.
We can help books like this one become a success by spreading the word. We can:
Buy the Book
Review the Book
Tell friends about the book (please share this post on your social media)
Ask libraries to purchase copies for their collection

And here are some more options for learning more about the book and acquiring it:
You can add it to your “Want to Read” list on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239923253-unbreakable) 

And you can preorder it through any of the following links.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/book/9781419772894 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unbreakable-minoru-tonai/1148019694 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1419772899

I hope you all have a wonderful week.