In this latest book by Paul Yee, who chronicles the Chinese Canadian experience so well, Kai-ming, a seven-year-old newly immigrated from a Chinese village, befriends the ghost of seven-year-old Benjamin, who died in the same house 80 years ago.

The ghost component of the story is acceptable, whether you interpret it as a figment of the boy’s imagination or something real in a culture’s body of beliefs. I found my credibility was strained by the fact that Kai-ming’s parents, without any apparent credentials or connections, acquired immigration status, afforded a rented house immediately upon arrival, and found a job within a few months’ time that enabled them to upgrade their housing. This element, however, is so much in the background, it’s unlikely to pose a problem for young readers.

The full-page illustrations, mostly close-ups, by Chinese Canadian artist Gu Xiong unfortunately have several flaws: in a story spanning two continents and three seasons, Kai-ming never changes outfits once; the ghost-boy is not wearing pants with suspenders as the text describes, and children seem to be playing ice hockey in summer. But the illustrations do lend full scope to the imagery of the butterfly, a symbol of mystic powers. And a strong sense of composition in some paintings shows promise.

Ultimately, it’s a story about human courage, resourcefulness, and the adaptability required to uproot yourself from your homeland and start over in a strange country. The ghost, as a metaphor, evocatively and effectively conveys the boy’s loneliness and the power of friendship.