February 1, 2025
Will mermaids ruin Goblin's first vacation in centuries? In this latest in the series, Goblin is exhausted (check out our hero's extensive and humorous To Do List if you have any doubts) and decides to take a much-needed break. Goblin heads to the beach, only to make a horrible discovery: The seashore is the site of the 105th Annual Mermaid Tournament of Awesomeness. Most people think mermaids are amazing, but Goblin begs to differ. Mermaids are loud! They ruin Goblin's search for inner peace, and the shadows cast by their sand castles keep Goblin from getting a tan. Forget about snorkeling--an arm-wrestling competition between an octopus and several mermaids makes the experience "less than serene." Cranky Goblin's first-person narration is delightfully understated at times. "What was supposed to be a lazy trip down the river turned out to be anything but," complains Goblin as the mermaids swim by, nearly knocking Goblin off an inner tube and sending our hero down a waterfall. Just as things are looking dangerous, Goblin finds a way to triumph. As with previous installments, Willan has crafted an enticing setting filled with saucer-eyed characters and rendered in a candy-colored palette; big-eared, exasperated Goblin's particularly endearing, and readers will love spotting the protagonist's slug sidekick on each page, as well as a crab who's magically been turned into a taco. Readers will eagerly line up to join these mermaid games.(Picture book. 3-6)
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