Ginny Goblin is Not Allowed to Open This Box



Written by David Goodner
Illustrated by Louis Thomas
Expected Publication: July 17, 2018

Why we chose this book:
T loves monsters. He says he likes spooky ones, but he actually likes friendly ones. This cute little goblin caught my eye, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt sent me an uncorrected proof copy at my request.

Mom and Son's Review
(son age 3)

A cute little goblin finds inventive ways to access a forbidden box.

T was very excited to read this; he liked Ginny Goblin just from looking at the cover. Reading the book only cemented his view of her. She's an inventive, happy character who good-naturedly attempts to open a box earlier than permitted. By the end of the story, she is shown to respect her parents' constraints on the box without fuss; the reader is left with the impression that everything was just a game while she waited.

The story is set up like a dialog with the reader. The narrator tells the reader about a box that Ginny Goblin is not allowed to open until dinnertime, then asks how "we" might prevent her from doing so. Escalating obstacles are suggested, until the box is locked in tower surrounded by a monster-filled moat and a dark forest. Each obstacle is introduced in the same format, with repetitive phrases that T was eagerly calling out as we read. At different points, he had suggestions for what Ginny might do, or what he would do differently. Basically he would break down the walls until he got to the box. (I've moved all the snacks to the bottom shelf of the pantry in the interest of our house!) T also really liked the monsters in the moat.

Ginny Goblin is Not Allowed to Open This Box is a cute story that was fun to read. T said that he liked it "even though it's not spooky." And since reading? He says that he's going to dress like a ninja and sneak into things he's not supposed to, just like Ginny does.

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