I am pleased that Heather Pierce Stigall has taken time to answer a few questions about her new picture book Gilbert and the Ghost. Better yet, we have a GIVEAWAY of a print copy of this cute book!
After you read our interview, don’t’ forget to enter the Giveaway at the end of the post.
About Heather Pierce Stigall
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 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 & 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 Awards 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.
About GILBERT AND THE GHOST
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.
“GILBERT AND THE GHOST”
is GREAT!
Gilbert knew how hard it was to make friends, especially when you are invisible.
Gilbert and the Ghost is a sweet, slightly spooky story about friendship and feeling unseen. Shy, quiet Gilbert often feels invisible. He is convinced that there is a ghost at the nearby Victorian house and he is sure that the ghost is lonely too. Gilbert keeps leaving tokens of friendship at the house. But his family doesn’t believe that a ghost is taking them. They always have reasonable explanations. Children will be captivated by the illustrations by Jess Mason. The soft earth-tone color palate provides a slightly spooky autumn atmosphere. Eventually Gilbert befriends the inhabitant of the house and feels a little less lonely. Heather Stigall has created a character that will make shy kids feel seen and a story that helps teach other kids about the importance of making those kids feel included. The book is great for Social Emotional Learning but teachers can use it for a variety of subjects. The author’s daughter is a teacher and she has created an extensive Educator’s Guide for use in kindergarten through second grade that is available on the author’s website. I recommend this sweet story as perfect for Halloween or anytime of the year.
INTERVIEW WITH HEATHER STIGALL
What was your inspiration for Gilbert and the Ghost?
Gilbert and the Ghost was inspired by a childhood memory. Every summer, my parents and aunt and uncle rented the same beach house for a few weeks. 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. No one replied, but our note was missing! Someone must have read it, right? We wondered if 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!
How did you go from that initial story seed, to the finished book? Were there any major revisions?
As I often do when I come up with a story idea, I did a lot of writing in my head before creating a terrible first draft. Sometimes that first draft sits for a long time before I work on it again, but this project called to me. I tinkered with it for a few months, and when I felt like it was in pretty good shape, I shared it with my critique partners. The basic plot structure for the story stayed consistent through all its versions, but I experimented with a few variations to the middle scenes. I felt strongly about my beginning and ending, but figuring out the best way to get from one to the other took a few attempts.
Tell me about Gilbert. What makes his character special?
Gilbert is a boy who often feels invisible which is why he identifies with the ghost he believes lives in his neighborhood. Hints in the book’s text and art suggest that he moves about in the world differently than his peers and that he may have difficulty making friends. But, despite his family’s disbelief, Gilbert is determined to befriend the ghost at 632 Savannah Street. He uses his strengths of empathy, kindness, patience, and loyalty to reach his goal.
Was there a message that you tried to send to your readers?
Believe! Believe in friendship and believe in yourself.
The illustrations by Jess Mason are perfect. I love the subdued color palette which provide a pensive, spooky mood. What illustration notes did your original manuscript contain, if any? Did you specify much about the visual story? Once you saw the illustrations, Did you need to change any of the text to match the pictures?
Aren’t Jess’s illustrations perfect? Just right for a mysterious, ghostly, friendship story! I included only a few art notes in my manuscript. Two were to indicate what Gilbert’s notes say. When Beaming shared the digital ARC with me the first time, I pointed out one inconsistency (I think a windchime that was shown hanging from the house’s front porch was missing in one or two spreads). When they shared the digital version for final review, I noticed something missing on the spread where there was a line of text that read, “No one at the playground noticed when Gilbert left the kickball game.” In the first set of pages I received, the children in the art were playing with a ball, but in the final ARC, there was no ball! I knew children would notice that, so I asked if they could either put a ball back in or alter the text (and I proposed a revision to that line). They decided to change the words, and now it fits perfectly with the art.
What about agent or editor feedback?
Before querying this story with agents (I was unagented at the time), I submitted the manuscript to two different agents for critiques. They had suggestions for how to improve the story and, interestingly, had very different opinions about the ending. I incorporated many of the first agent’s suggestions and a few of the second agent’s notes, but I went with my gut and left the ending as it was. That is the version that landed me my first agent who sold the book to Beaming Books. Once I signed with my agent, she suggested one or two tiny edits, and once I signed the book contract, the editor requested a few more small changes.
You were perseverant and stuck to your dream. Tell me about the ending of the book. It wasn’t until I reread the book that I took a second look and realized that the ending could be taken more than one way. Is there a reason you did it that way?
Yes! My intention was to offer a satisfying resolution while leaving room for reader interpretation. I believed in my ending, but I did encounter a few doubters. As I mentioned above, when I submitted the manuscript to two agents, they had very different opinions about the ending. One thought the resolution was “sweet and satisfying,” while the other thought editors might shy away from the story because the ending wasn’t “decisive” enough. I stuck with my gut and hoped someone in the publishing world would believe too. Luckily, I found an agent who also loved the ending. Then, an editor at Beaming Books brought the manuscript to acquisitions! But she came back with questions from the rest of her team…about the ending! I was nervous because, of course, I wanted an offer. I explained my vision for the story and crossed my fingers while waiting for a response. I was thrilled to receive a book deal, and the ending remains just how I wrote it in the very first draft. I believe that the author, illustrator, and reader contribute equal parts to making a picture book. Each reader brings their own background, experience, and beliefs with them on their journey when they read a book. When readers reach the end of Gilbert and the Ghost, they may have very different reactions, and that was my hope. When a reader asked me the “big question” they usually have, I ask them, “What do you think?” and “Why?” Sometimes their answers surprise me!
Paisley’s Big Birthday was so cute. What gave you the idea for this adorable story?
As for the inspiration for Paisley’s Big Birthday, that was thanks to my youngest child’s fifth birthday. That day I sent him to preschool with cupcakes to celebrate with his classmates. When I picked him up, he climbed into his car seat, wearing a glittery birthday crown and a slight frown. The conversation began something like this:
Birthday Boy: “When is my birthday?”
Me: “Today!
Birthday Boy: (shakes his head) “No. When is my real birthday?”
Me: “Today is your real birthday!”
Birthday Boy: “It doesn’t feel like it.”
My mind began to spin. Why didn’t he feel like it was his birthday? Did something happen or not happen at school? What would it take for him to feel like it was his “real” birthday? A few questions later, I realized that he believed that on his birthday he would instantly “feel” older; he would magically be able to do things he wasn’t able to do the day before. But I kept the conversation going during the ride home, through lunch, and for some time after that. I asked lots of questions and listened as he shared evidence for why it was most definitely not his birthday. I was enamored with his reasoning and determination, while underneath it all I felt his disappointment that this day, one that was supposed to be special, didn’t meet his expectations. Not long after, I wrote a draft of a story about a bunny who hops out of bed the morning of her birthday, expecting to be all things “big bunny.”
How long did it take to get from that first draft to final publication? It took such a convoluted path to publication. Paisley’s Big Birthday, was actually your debut picture book in 2023. Did it take as long to reach the public?
Gilbert and the Ghost’s path to publication was certainly full of ups and downs, but it wasn’t my first book contract. Paisley’s Big Birthday was one of the first stories I wrote, but it sat in a virtual drawer for a long time. For those interested in the complicated timeline for both books, it looks like this:
2015
I write the first draft of Paisley’s Big Birthday .
2016
I feel Paisley is polished, but I need to build my body of work before submitting; I write and revise many more stories and eventually start querying agents with a few of them.
2020
I write the first draft of Gilbert and the Ghost.
2021 Winter:
I submit Paisley to Clavis Books (yes, the only place I send it).
Spring:
I receive an offer from Clavis and sign a contract to publish Paisley.
Summer:
I begin querying agents with Gilbert.
Fall:
I sign with my first agent and go on submission to publishers with Gilbert.
2022 Spring:
I receive an offer from Beaming Books and sign a contract to publish Gilbert
(expected pub date of fall 2024).
Fall:
The Dutch edition of Paisley publishes.
2023 Spring:
My agent decides to step away from agenting, my Gilbert editor is let go, and
Beaming decides to delay publishing Gilbert until fall 2026.
Summer:
The English edition of Paisley publishes
Fall:
I sign with a new agent.
2024
Gilbert is assigned a new editor and Beaming decides to publish Gilbert in fall 2025.
2025
Gilbert and the Ghost publishes.
Like I said, a path full of ups and downs!
It isn’t very common for picture books to have teacher’s guides. Yet both books have downloadable guides available on your website. Tell me about that.
Ah, well, I have a secret weapon! Her name is Caitlin and not only is she a teacher and fan of picture books, but she is also my daughter – very convenient! I wanted to provide educators and parents a free resource that offer extension activities for each my books. I had some ideas, but I knew Caitlin would do a much better job than I could to create extensive guides that educators would appreciate. She made sure the activities and discussion questions integrate the books into English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Social Emotional Learning; she made easy-to-print-out worksheets (less work for teachers!); and she even made the guides pretty to look at!
Do you have any other books in the pipeline that readers can look forward to reading?
Yes! But I’m not able to share details right now. I can divulge that I have another book under contract and a couple of manuscripts on submission looking for publishing homes. Of course, I always have a few projects in various stages from early drafts to submission-ready, including ones about a misunderstood bird, a wet dog, a wolf in disguise, a child with FOMO, a bedtime story with a twist, and a frustrated pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. Fingers crossed you’ll see one or all of these on a bookshelf someday!
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I loved reading this interview. Everyone deserves to be seen. I shared it on Facebook and followed both FB accounts.
Thanks for sharing
I read both of these books for 12×12 reviews. They’re both so precious. Great stories and beautiful illustrations. Definite wins for anyone to add to their collection.
Followed both accounts on Instagram (my account @toad.n.crow). Visited Heather’s site and subscribed to her newsletter.
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The Gilbert and the Ghost Giveaway is closed but please enter my other giveaways!
Congratulations, Janice Milusich.
Perserverance and a lot of hard work and disappointments made her dream come true. Congratulations to a very talented author,mother, wife, and daughter who believed in herself 😍
🥰So sweet!