Imagine this: a ghost builds his own dream house. And of course it’s a haunted house! You won’t want to miss today’s picture book.

Mike Ciccotello has visited my blog before. He is the author-illustrator of Twins, Beach Toys vs. School Supplies (a Bill Martin, Jr., Picture Book Award Winner), and Leonard Builds a Haunted House. He lives with his family in New Jersey. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on Instagram or BlueSky. He also has a YouTube channel for his Draw with Mr. Mike series (which are fantastic for anybody who wants to draw along). He is also available for some of the best school visit presentations I’ve ever seen.

LEONARD BUILDS A HAUNTED HOUSE is a picture book that anyone who has had to move can appreciate. BUT it’s told with ghosts! When their house is in the way of a new development, this family of ghosts takes the cash and moves. Leonard decides to build their house from scratch, but the rest of the family isn’t so sure about that. If it has all the new and necessary parts, can it really be scary?

Welcome back Mike!

Me: Oh my goodness! I love Leonard and his determination. I love the whole setup and all the characters too. What gave you the idea for this story?

Mike: Thank you so much, Jena! Well, at the beginning I started off with just a nameless ghost. I tried writing his story several ways, but I didn’t really know who he was yet. Each version was completely different, but each version had the ghost as the leading character. None of them were right. So, I suppose you could say he wore several hats before he became an architect and a builder. Once I discovered who he truly was and developed his character, he became Leonard and the story kind of built itself around him. There were little bits that changed along the way, but the core was there, and I knew Leonard would follow his vision all the way through.

Me: Hee! Built around him! I adore all of the puns and clever bits you’ve included yet again in the illustrations. I won’t spoil them all (though the cement might be my favorite). Were those always there in the illustrations? Or did they get added after revisions or from others suggestions? 

Mike: They were so fun to create. As I wrote, some became part of the foundation, others were added as I traded off between the sketches and text. Final touches were added like decorations when everything was finished in color. The process is one of the many things I love about making books–it’s never the same from book to book. Sometimes, I know these things right from the beginning. Other times, the story or illustrations surprise me with new ideas even after I “think” it’s done.

Me: This is another story you both wrote and illustrated. I love the idea of a ghost who is building his own haunted house. The conflict and the ending evolve naturally here too, but were they hard to come by? Were there challenges for you in writing this story?

Mike: Oh, gosh. How do I say this without giving anything away? Well, I feel there are challenges writing any story. The ending for his did come naturally, but as I mentioned, there were several versions of the story before I ended up with a solid idea. I think the real challenge was finding the right story for Leonard. As authors, we need to listen to our characters and see what is best for them. Some tell us right away, and others take a little longer to find their way.

Me: There are some incredible textures all throughout the book. I particularly loved how you approached the blue skies here. Were there new techniques you were using as you illustrated this book? What media did you use?

Mike: That’s very kind of you. Thank you. I’m always interested in experimenting and evolving my style. I believe some of the line work and textures I used within BEACH TOYS VS. SCHOOL SUPPLIES informed the work I created for Leonard’s world. A couple of years ago, I had a conversation about process with an author-illustrator friend at a conference. I was looking to push my technique further and he had some great suggestions of adding textures within the finished work. I have a giant sketchpad I used when developing the book. I call it, The Big Book of Leonard. All my notes, sketches, and textures are within its pages. I created handmade textures and tried to develop as many of my hand-drawn sketches as I could and then finish them digitally in Procreate on my iPad. I enjoyed this process so much, I have continued to develop it in books I am working on now.

Me:  What is one of your favorite illustrations or moments from the book?

Mike: Oh, there are so many moments. The opening spread when the ghosts are packing the Boo-Haul truck. The ceiling fan page. The looks and body language from the grumpy ghost, Marvin. Leonard is the only ghost that is named in the book, but they all have names. I think my favorite might be the spot illustration of Leonard with the measuring tape, but there are a bunch that I love. Each illustration allowed me to dig a little deeper into the personalities of the characters.

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in the creation of this book?

Mike: How much a book can still evolve after it’s sold to a publisher. I mean, I already knew this, but the way it evolves surprises me every time. Originally, the other ghosts in the house were generic. I decided to give them all unique personalities and features that turned the whole thing into something more. Suddenly, we had a group of siblings adding their opinions into the mix, and that was a surprise. This happened shortly after the book was acquired when I was doing another pass on the dummy and sending it to the team. The team I work with at FSG welcomed the idea and we all leaned into it.

Me: I understand that there’s already a sequel to this book due out next year. Were they sold as a set? Will the other ghost characters get more development or is Leonard still the main character?

Mike: Yes, the second book, LEONARD GROWS A HAUNTED GARDEN, is scheduled to release in January of 2026, but the books were not sold as a set. I was thrilled when the editor, Wes Adams, suggested that I pitch a new idea for the characters, especially since the first book wasn’t out yet. Leonard is still the main character, donning a fancy gardening hat and ready to get his hands dirty, so to speak. I leaned into the personalities of the ghosts a bit more in this one and they get into some funny situations.

Yay! That’s wonderful news! I can’t wait to read that one too! I’m hoping for many more Leonard books to come!

Dear readers, this book was published yesterday. If you haven’t read it yet, get to a bookstore stat! This book is a delightful mix of a fun premise, puns, and illustrations that you won’t want to miss.