A Ghostie Story

By Julie Duffin
October 2024 View more Books

In her debut children’s book, Naperville artist and author Nadia Ahmed tackles the subject of overcoming anxiety by featuring a little “ghostie” who’s too scared to leave the comfort of his attic for trick-or-treating. The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything tells the story of how he slowly exposes himself to the things he’s afraid of and conquers his fears.

Ahmed perfected her ghostie drawings during the pandemic. “Halloween is my favorite holiday,” she explains. “I like the Tim Burton kind of cute, but not the super-scary kind of creepy Halloween stuff. So I made a lot of illustrations in that style.” After receiving a positive response on social media, Ahmed decided to write a story about them.
Aimed at ages 4 to 7, the book helps kids work through their fears. “There isn’t always a reason behind anxiety. Some people are just born anxious—people like me,” she explains. “Emotions for kids that age are so big. I want them to know that anxiety is something that can be managed. You can be scared, but it’s worth it to try and do things anyway. It doesn’t have to take over your life.”

Photos: Beaming Books (an imprint of 1517 Media) and Nadia Ahmed