Ginny Goblin Cannot Have a Monster for a Pet

Starred review from May 1, 2019
The lovable, green-skinned imp has returned following her introduction in Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box (2018). The first page establishes the fact that Ginny Goblin loves animals and that goats are among her favorites. The grinning, big-eyed toddler stands atop a similarly featured goat. The page turn reveals why goats are not good house pets: Five comical goats are wreaking havoc in a dining room. The fun begins when the narrator naively says, "Maybe if we help Ginny Goblin find a pet, she'll stop trying to herd goats through the house." The art perfectly complements the imaginative, absurd text, as Ginny--defying authority--tries to acquire a pet through such means as a bear trap, military tank, submarine, and rocket ship. No hermit crab or bunny for her! Just enough shiver accompanies the text and comical art's introductions to such creatures as a kraken, a dragon, a basilisk, and a space monster. Even as Ginny is depicted doing the things she is not allowed to do, the text poses the frightful consequences: "If Ginny took her basilisk to school for show-and-tell, her whole class would turn into statues." The text further accommodates little ones by frequently invoking the title; its tongue-in-cheek humor and clever wordplay will keep more sophisticated readers engaged. The surprise ending will elicit both a smile and a wink from all. Ginny is becoming a symbol of toddler power. (Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 2, 2019
Goodner and Thomas’s little green goblin returns to the page following Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box. This time, the alternately enabling and exasperated narrator enlists readers to find Ginny a pet alternative to the “kind of stinky” goats of which she’s so fond. “But I want to be clear,” says the narrator, adopting an ineffectively officious tone: “Ginny Goblin should not need a giant net to find a pet. She should not need a bear trap, and she definitely should not need to drive an army tank.” The ever-oppositional Ginny, meanwhile, equips herself to pursue monsters ranging from an “unfathomable” deep-sea kraken to a “petrifying” basilisk. As the gouache and pen-and-ink vignettes grow ever more outlandish despite the narrator’s attempts at “a nice safe pet,” readers will realize that Ginny is neither oblivious nor foolhardy, but rather fiendishly clever. Ages 4–7.

September 9, 2019

PreS-Gr 3-Goblins don't want dogs, cats, or even bearded dragons for pets. They prefer a fearsome kraken, an acid-spitting alien, or a basilisk that turns people into stone. But little Ginny Goblin will settle for a plain old goat if she can't have anything else. After an unseen narrator tells her that she can't have goats in the house because it's too much work to take care of them, Ginny is told to find a more appropriate pet-one that is not a monster. On her quest, Ginny dives into the deepest ocean, plumbs caves, and blasts herself into outer space and encounters a wide variety of monsters there. Thomas's colorful illustrations are packed with personality. Ginny stands out on every page, even when she's at the bottom on the sea in a submarine dwarfed by an enormous squid. All the while, she never loses her impish grin. Each spread features fun details to look at, from the little goblin's colorful unicorn chair to her baiting a basilisk with a cupcake. Goodner's text is conversational and bemused with Ginny's antics, despite her persistent disobedience. The unseen narrator eventually acquiesces and allows Ginny to keep a goat, after all of her alternative choices prove too monstrous. VERDICT Although not necessarily modelling ideal parenting, this title is sure to please children whether or not they want a pet of their own. Readers will find Ginny's adventures and the tone of the text a hoot.-Chance Lee Joyner, Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, NH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.