Gwei the Hungry Ghost - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

Jan 16
4 min read

Updated: Jan 29

This week's #PPBF choice is a stunning picture book about a lonely ghost's discovery during the Ghost Festival Month. It's a wonderful introduction to a Chinese folklore, a showcase of delicious, mouthwatering foods. and a gentle reminder of the benefits of sharing and friendship.

Book cover - a big blue ghost shoving a huge amount of food into its mouth as a little orange ghost looks over its shoulder.

Gwei the Hungry Ghost

Author: Emeline Lee

Illustrator: Basia Tran

Publisher: Kokila Books/Penguin Random House (January 13, 20206)

Ages: 4-8

Fiction

Themes:

Loneliness, hunger, friendship, ghosts, sharing, and Chinese folklore.

Synopsis:

A picture book about a lonely ghost who learns to share and is finally fulfilled through friendship.

Gwei the ghost is absolutely famished, but unlike the other ghosts in the cemetery, he won’t eat just anything. Luckily, it’s Ghost Festival month: the one time a year when ghosts roam the realm of the living. Gwei flutters around the city eating steaming bowls of noodles, hot, hot, HOT chestnuts, and crispy fried fish with chili oil.

Yet no matter how much Gwei eats, his hunger won’t go away. As he searches for the perfect meal, he catches someone following him. It's another hungry little ghost! When he hears her grumbling belly, he reluctantly reaches into his pouch to share. To his surprise, he finally starts to feel full.

With charming Chinese folklore–inspired text by Emeline Lee and warm, glowing illustrations by Basia Tran, Gwei the Hungry Ghost is a story about how friendship feeds the soul.

Opening Lines:

Gwei the ghost was absolutely famished. Of the many kinds of

ghosts in the graveyard, he was the only hungry ghost, cursed to eat and eat

but never feel full.

Yet Gwei wouldn't just eat anything. He has refined tastes.

He refused the offerings left near his tombstone and snubbed

the other ghosts who ate the simple food served in

cemeteries.

What I LOVED about this book:

How's that for an absolutely intriguing opening for a picture book! A famished ghost who is a snob and a finicky eater! I love the gentle spookiness of opening spread. Especially, Basia Tran's teardrop shaped, "Messenger Ghosts" accompanied by mythical, life-like animal ghosts - like the nine-tailed fox. And poor Gwei's miserable face! Even though set at night, the illustrations radiate light

Internal spread - on the left, six ghosts, including a nine-tailed fox spirit, float of walk around tombstones on the rolling hills of a cemetery. On the right, a hungry ghost stands in front of its tombstone, watched by another little ghost and another fox spirit.

Text © Emeline Lee, 2026. Image © Basia Tran, 2026

The back of the book contains a guide to the ghosts - explaining each ghost's past lives and nature. Turns out hungry ghosts were "greedy and arrogant people or someone who didn't receive a proper burial." Still arrogant, Gwei refuses the stack of mandarin oranges left him and hungrily dreams of his favorite dishes, impatiently waiting for the Ghost Festival month. When he can roam among people and eat all the tasty food he could gobble. On the first day of the month . . .

Internal spread - on the left, a blue ghost slurps up noodles and lo mein, as oblivious chefs work in their shops and people wander around chatting and eating food. On the right, a blue ghost and a dog have fire coming out of their mouths after eating super hot roasted chestnuts, as chefs work and a woman smiles at the dog.

Gwei slurps up noodles and lo mein, scarfed down a roasted sweet potato, and chestnuts so hot that both Gwei and a live dog have fire erupting from their mouths. Unaware of the Ghost Month festival, I really enjoyed learning about this celebration and the details in the store fronts, city, and all the yummy looking foods. I couldn't help chuckling at a fun wordless page of a confused fish seller when the unseen Gwei exchanged his favorite dish, "fried fish, crispy on the outside and dripping with chili oil," with a pile of gold coins. It reminded me a little of the antics of Casper, the Ghost cartoons I watched as a kid.

But nothing Gwei ate ever took his hunger away. He wandered the town, eating and stashing food into an increasingly bulging pouch, until he felt a small, equally hungry ghost behind him. When he grudgingly offered the little ghost something from his pouch - she chose his favorite fried fish! I love the mystical sparkles on and around the ghosts and Gwei's pouch. They beautifully add to the folklore feel of the story.

Internal spread - on the left, looking into a pouch full of food and mystical sparkles. On the right, each of the food dishes are arranged between a little orange ghost and the blue ghost as they float on the street under the hanging lanterns.

The two ghost's interactions are touching, rewarding, and precious, with so many details layered into the illustrations. Including a magnificent illustrated 'call back' to the second image above, where even the food sellers attitudes have changed, the tender ending is well earned and gently leaves the reader with a message on sharing and friendship, without feeling didactic at all. The back of the book also includes an illustrated explanation of the Hungry Ghost Festival and a glossary with kanji characters. This is a vibrant and stunning introduction to a Chinese folklore, with a sweet message of friendship and sharing.

Resources:

Photo collage of 10 of 20 ghost craft ideas.

make you own hungry ghost with these 20 ghost crafts.

check out these 7 Hungry Ghost craft ideas.

how did you meet your best friend? what is something you like doing together?

pair this with Sparkles for Sunny: A Lunar New Year Story by Sylvia Chen, illustrated by Thai My Phuong, Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival by Grace Lin, and The Seven Chinese Sisters by Kathy Tucker, illustrated by Grace Lin.

Check out the interview with author Emeline Lee and illustrator Basia Tran (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.