The Goblin And The Empty Chair (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
This book is about a lonely goblin who is fearful to interact with humans because of the way he looks. Little does he know that his acts of kindness that he means to be secretive do not go unseen. In fact a family ends up falling in love with him and welcoming him with open arms. I think this book is meant for older readers because of the story line and the concept of the book. The story line seems more complicated to grasped than normal stories, although, I noticed the sentences were fairly short. The illustrations could be confusing for young readers as well, where as they provide an element in them that an older reader might consider intriguing. Over all I think the book is great for older readers. I just wasn't fond of the storyline or how it ended. This book sort of worked at storytime because it has a lot of repetition and a pretty straightforward storyline, but it works better as a one-on-one story. On the surface, it's a nice story about a kind-hearted goblin who finds acceptance from the outside world, and you don't have to go into why the chair is empty at the breakfast table. The subtle story that you could get into while reading it one-on-one is about a death in the family. A lot of kids won't pick up on the death aspect because it isn't a didactic story about how things will get better. In fact, the goblin is the character to be pitied, which is why it's such a nice story for a child who has experienced a loss in the family. It's not about how the family will move on and be happy, because that isn't helpful to someone mourning a loss. The mourning family members are sad and the goblin helps them with tangible things like chores, but they are the ones who have to reach out and make him happy, which is awesome because usually stories about mourning are about appreciating memories or waiting until you feel better. The family in this book have more agency--it is their act of reaching out to someone else that resolves the conflict in the story, which was never really about them anyway. I like that the spotlight isn't on the mourners, and there is no pressure for them to feel happy.
What do You think about The Goblin And The Empty Chair (2009)?
The day after reading this, my four-year-old was pretending to be the goblin. And I was very glad.
—elakash
I a hope an ugly goblin will come help me with my work! I'll set a place at the table ...
—Angiee
Stunning pictures with a traditional fantasy feel and a great story.
—beauty
Loved the illustrations in this picture book.
—bear
