Goldfish Ghost

by Lemony Snicket, Lisa Brown (Illustrator)

Overview

Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in the bowl on a dresser in a boy’s room. The boy’s room was pleasant and familiar, but Goldfish Ghost wanted company, so he set out to find a friend.

He floats over the neighborhood, past the pier, and let the breeze carry him into town where he discovers that not many people pay attention to goldfish ghosts.

Off he floats, searching for the perfect home and the perfect friend

and then he hears a voice. . .

Bestselling author Lemony Snicket and illustrator Lisa Brown brings us a fresh and funny take on what happens after your favorite goldfish crosses over to the other side.

A Neal Porter Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626725072
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Lemony Snicket is the author of far too many books for children, including The Dark, which won the Charlotte Zolotow Award, and 13 Words, which didn’t. Despite his best efforts, his series All The Wrong Questions and A Series of Unfortunate Events have allegedly sold more than 70 million copies and been translated into thirty-nine languages.

Lisa Brown is a New York Times bestselling illustrator, author, and cartoonist. Her work includes a slew of illustrated books including Goldfish Ghost by Lemony Snicket; The Airport Book; Picture the Dead with Adele Griffin; and Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert. For adults, Long Story Short is a collection of comic strips about classic novels. She lives in San Francisco and teaches in the illustration department of the California College of the Art.

Hometown:

Snicket is something of a nomad. Handler lives in San Francisco, California.

Date of Birth:

February 28, 1970

Place of Birth:

Handler was born in San Francisco in 1970, and says Snicket's family has roots in a land that's now underwater.

Education:

Handler is a 1992 graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

Website:

http://www.lemonysnicket.com

Editorial Reviews

…a graceful reminder that no matter our state of being, we all need kindness, companionship and a place to call home. The creators wisely stuck with a familiar picture book aesthetic and engaging illustrations, making what could be a scary story about death downright friendly. Especially appropriate for children experiencing loss, Goldfish Ghost deals with the question about life after life that's been asked for centuries. If the answer it suggests is at all accurate, then, lucky us.

The New York Times Book Review - Tom Lichtenheld

*"In the field of pet bereavement narratives, this one stands out for tenderness, originality, and subtlety."—Horn Book, starred review

*"Can a book about death and the afterlife be refreshing and funny? In the hands of Snicket and Brown, indeed it can. This oddball offering should find a welcome home in any picture book collection."—School Library Journal, starred review

*"Line and watercolor art gives Goldfish Ghost an unexpected robustness as he palely wafts through the steely sky, balanced by the busyness of the earthly scenes below him; he’s a reassuringly homey and accessible ghost even in his un- earthly state. Like Snicket’s The Dark (BCCB 6/13), this could be a way to make uncomfortable spaces friendlier; it’s also a logical go-to for smaller pet death, and adults who come to snicker will leave unexpectedly moved."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"A lovely, untrammeled look at a pet's afterlife."—Kirkus Reviews

"Don’t expect this ghost story to slip by unnoticed."—Booklist

"Goldfish Ghost is an enigmatic hero—is he lonely, or just fussy?—but Snicket’s portrayal of the lighthouse keeper’s intuitive kindness and Brown’s subdued, moonlit landscapes resolve the story with moments of magic."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2017-02-20
The ghost of a pet goldfish searches for a new home in this newest picture book from Snicket. "Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in a bowl on the dresser in a boy's room." So begins a sweet and somber tale of a literal fish out of water, who finds the afterlife exceedingly lonely. A pale umbra carried by the wind, Goldfish Ghost floats quietly (and perpetually upside down) out of his bowl in search of conversation and company. But "it can be hard to find the company you are looking for," and though he comes upon a flock of shrieking birds over the pier, a crowd of sunbathers on the beach, and even several ghosts of sea creatures hovering above the ocean, none feel quite right. Late in the day, just when he has given up, Goldfish Ghost at last hears a friendly voice of another lonely ghost hoping to find a friend, and settled atop a lighthouse, the two make excellent company. Although they occupy the same space on the page as their living counterparts, the ghostly specters (marked by their solid white coloring) are suffused with quiet emotion as they move between spreads. Mirroring the text's unhurried and occasionally awkwardly paced narrative, Brown expertly and with deceptive simplicity sets the questing ghosts apart from the frenetic bustle of the living world. A lovely, untrammeled look at a pet's afterlife. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews