I enjoyed reading this book for three reasons. The first reason that I liked this book was because of the plot. Since it was told in the perspective of a goblin, it was interesting and humorous to see which elements of his walk he enjoyed, and which elements scared him along the way. For instance, he was gathering a basket of goodies for his grandma, and he included items like rocks, weeds and bugs, which are things that typically we would find weird or gross. The things that scared him along the way were things like a tiny mouse, a bunny and a butterfly. The second reason that I liked the story was because of the illustrations and how detailed they were. The details on the goblin specifically really enhanced the story and the character for the reader. The third reason I liked this story was because of the writing. The story was repetitive and it rhymed, which would be very entertaining for young readers. It was also written in a very funny way. The main message of the story is to consider situations from other perspectives. I read this story to my niece, and she was confused why the cute animals would scare someone like a goblin. We discussed how the goblin’s perspective on the world affected the way that he acted and responded to it.

I liked this book a lot because there are a lot of great illustrations and sequencing. The author did a good job of adding a guessing element, in which children can predict what will show up on the next page, or what the goblin will be afraid of next. The irony of a goblin being afraid of simple, cute animals adds to the humor aspect of the book, and there aren't too many characters involved, which takes away possible confusion of who the main character is. Overall, when the goblin meets with his grandmother, the reader can understand that the main message is to not be afraid of everything and to know that it will be okay if you don't continuously worry about everything. ( )

"A little golbin has a series of frightening experiences while walking through the woods to his grandmother's house."

Reviews/Awards Source Date
Horn Book Guide 3/1/1992
School Library Journal 11/1/1991
Kirkus Review 8/15/1991 ( )