Okay, let’s Shimmer, Sparkle, and Twirl into greatness!

Imani and the Ghost by Cicely Lewis and illustrated by Anastasia Magloire Williams is part of the Hair Magic Series and is an empowering and cute story for young children. After a spooky story time at a sleepover, Imani and her brother start to hear creepy sounds at night. Taking her fear by the reins, Imani has to find out what the ghost is all about.

This is such a cute and empowering story for young children. It not only shows how to uplift themselves and how to treat others, it combines familial relationships with friendships. There’s so much to gain from this book and the series. I really like the self love aspects in addition to the embrace of all hair types. We love our hair! All hair is GOOD hair!

It was nice to see a diverse group of friends as well and there was a lot of problem solving in the mix. The fact that a book is used to help with the problem, “look in a book” IYKYK 😉. Finally, one of my favorite parts is that there is not only a think about it section with questions to relate to childrens’ own experiences, but also a mini bio of a real life person who did amazing things.

The illustrations are beautiful and filled with great colors. There’s a nice dichotomy of hair styles throughout and it emphasized the various ways hair could be done. Love the character design as it can easily fit the age range for this book.

This is great for early chapter book readers. The writing is large and there’s lots of pictures to keep up with the story. The topics are empowering and there’s lots to enjoy from this story! Great for the classroom, at home and with families. For solo readers, the age range would be for 6-8 and with help starting at 4 or 5.

Love the series!

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Imani and the Ghost from Cicely Lewis, illus. by Anastasia Magloire Williams via NetGalley

I received an electronic ARC from Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Imani and her friends are scared by her brother during a sleepover. They settle down to sleep but Imani continues to hear strange noises in the night. This happens for several nights in a row. She decides to learn about ghosts and goes to the best place to this - her school library. The librarian gives her a chapter book about another brave young girl who solves a ghost mystery. This makes Imani brave, and she decides to investigate her home. Her brother joins her and they rig a trap for the "ghost" in the attic. To their delight, this works and they find the ghost. Readers will appreciate the humor when this person is revealed and the reason for the noises is learned.
I appreciate the way Lewis portrays her main character as strong and powerful. Her power is in her hair like generations before her. She can change her look to show who she is and who she wants to be. The text flows smoothly for lower to mid-elementary readers to appreciate on their own or share as a read aloud. Colorful artwork captures the story and adds details along the way.

A cute way to show kids how to love their hair and that things are usually not how they seem. The illustrations were beautifully done and this book is perfect for children in middle school. I especially loved the mention of Agent #2658 Sylvia Mathis and the significance of her contribution.

Absolutely loved reading this story about curious Imani and her creative solution to a possible ghost in her house! There are many good lessons about friendship, exploration, and working together for young kids throughout the story. I especially enjoyed how Imani, a young Black girl, felt even more empowered by styling her hair like her favorite book character before going out on her adventure. I will definitely be reading this to my niece in the future!

I work with children in grades K-5, and many of my younger readers love the Hair Magic books. This was my first time actually reading one cover to cover, and I have to say, I see why the kids enjoy them!

Imani and the Ghost had adorable artwork and a fun ghost story, all weaved together with a messages of positivity, courage, and self-love. I'm looking forward to getting copies of this book and being able to recommend it to my patrons, especially to the young Black girls who get so excited to see characters who look like them. I think this one will be a hit.

This ebook was made available for me to read and review by Cicely Lewis, Lerner Publishing Group, and NetGalley.

The illustrator of this picture book is Anastasia Magloire Williams. Maglore's illustrations are brightly colored and inviting. I adore how Maglore illustrates an afro. The afro is so stunningly drawn that it conveys movement on the page. I love it so much because hair features prominently in this story.

This ebook is part of a series about a Black girl, Imani, whose very hair is magic. Imani's grandmother, Grandma Dottie, mom, and Aunt Netta also share this hair magic.

In this edition of the series, Imani is hosting a sleepover with her friends Keisha, Alejandra, and Penelope. They are telling ghost stories by flashlight when they hear something creepy. The story follows Imani and her brother, Isaiah, as they use detective skills to determine the source of the creepy noises.

This is adorable, fun, and beautifully illustrated. I plan to pick up the rest of Imani's adventures for my granddaughter.

Thank you to Cicely Lewis, Lerner Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ebook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.