Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (July)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Ginny Goblin loves animals. Goats are some of her favorites. If only the (offstage) narrator allowed Ginny to have a pet goat, then she might not seek out (using a submarine, a trap, and a rocket ship) a kraken, basilisk, and space alien as potential pets instead. In a clever twist, Ginny has the last laugh when she tricks the narrator into approving the pet she wanted all along. Elaborate monster-seeking scenarios, the title phrase as a refrain, and lively illustrations in ink and gouache make Ginnys second humorous outing (Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box) perfect for reading aloud. cynthia k. ritter September/October 2019 p.51(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
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 Ginnydefying authoritytries 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 Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
