Goldfish Ghost / by Lemony Snicket ; illustrations by Lisa Brown.

Title:

Author:

Snicket, Lemony

Additional Author(s):

Brown, Lisa, 1972-

ISBN:

9781626725072

1626725071

Edition:

First edition.

Publication Info:

New York :

Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 26 cm

Summary:

The adventures of a goldfish who just died.

General Note:

"A Neal Porter book."

Subject(s):

Goldfish -- Juvenile fiction.

Fishes -- Juvenile fiction.

Future life -- Juvenile fiction.

Holds: Copies (not including on-order items):

Available:*

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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

Author Notes

Lemony Snicket is the pen name of Daniel Handler, who was born on February 28, 1970. As Lemony Snicket, he is the author of and appears as a character in the children's book series A Series of Unfortunate Events. He has also written or contributed to other works using this pen name including Baby in the Manger, The Lump of Coal, The Composer Is Dead, and Where Did You See Her Last?.

Under his real name, Handler is the author of several books for adults including The Basic Eight, Watch Your Mouth, and Adverbs.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 3-In a droll twist on the typical "beloved dead pet" story, this one opens with a death-reimagined as an otherworldly birth-of a boy's pet goldfish. Born upside down and floating on top of his fishbowl, Goldfish Ghost, who remains in that position throughout, slowly drifts out of the boy's bedroom and along the idyllic seascapes of Cape Cod in search of companionship. The many shrieking seagulls pay him no heed, the busy vacationers already have friends and family, and the mass of deceased sea creatures floating above the ocean aren't quite Goldfish Ghost's scene. Eventually, the melancholic little specter finds a forever home in a lighthouse with the former lighthouse keeper, a grandmotherly presence who places him gently in the warm light that "once shone for sailors at sea." Unlike most picture books about death, this take is wholly unconcerned with the emotional repercussions felt by the pet's owner, and instead focuses squarely, and with deadpan charm, on answering one of life's most baffling and enduring questions: What happens when we die? And his answer is, perhaps surprisingly for the author of the delightfully dark "A Series of Unfortunate Events," rather comforting. Brown's signature India ink and watercolor illustrations add to the subtle tongue-in-cheek humor, depicting the titular former pet in stark black-and-white (with a single flat and staring eye) against the colorful blues, greens, and coral shades of the vacation town. As in her previous works (The Airport Book; Mummy Cat), relatable details and visual Easter eggs add depth and dimension to the setting and supporting cast of characters. VERDICT 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.-Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

"Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in a bowl on the dresser in a boy's room," writes Snicket (The Dark) at the outset of this melancholic looking-for-friendship story, using the fish's off-screen death as a new beginning. Brown (The Airport Book) draws Goldfish Ghost in black and white, surrounded by a world of color; he floats through the air upside-down, as any dead fish should. No one notices the ghost as he drifts over a seaside village and beach, looking for someone to talk to. Brown packs her watercolor-and-ink spreads with activity as families enjoy the salt air and seagulls wheel, yet none of it calls to Goldfish Ghost. Even among the ghosts of other sea creatures, he doesn't feel at home. At last, at the top of a supposedly haunted lighthouse, he finds "very good company" in the ghost of the lighthouse keeper. 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. Ages 3-6. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

A lonely specter of a once-loved pet goldfish wanders a beach town in search of company in this deadpan picture book from the well-loved Snicket. After growing bored of floating atop the goldfish bowl in his owner's bedroom, the ghost floats out the window and sees the sights: the pier, with loud seagulls; the main street bustling with people, none of whom need company; and the beach, covered in sunbathers and another ghostly pair, though they don't notice the goldfish. Brown's lively cartoonish illustrations render the town and its people in saturated, muted tones, and the dense scenes are full of fun details to discover, such as a school of ghost sea creatures, all in a spooky pallor and floating upside down, just like the goldfish. The crisp, white ghosts stand out sharply from the colorful scenes, but they're subtle enough that it's still a delight to spot them. And not to worry: the ghostly goldfish gets a happy ending. Hand this winsome, slightly eerie tale to fans of Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson's Leo: A Ghost Story (2015). HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Snicket's macabre tales have made him a household name; don't expect this ghost story to slip by unnoticed.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2017 Booklist