They are not scary, but each of the illustrations is appropriate for the different emotions that Goblin experiences. Like the story itself, the illustrations are not too cartoonish but not serious either. From the perspective of someone who does not get the background context, this is a book about an underdog who overcomes some not-so-nice people (and others). My five-year-old daughter never even heard of a goblin, and she loved it. While the jokes might be better appreciated by “fantasy nerds,” that is not a requirement for enjoying the book. Hatke is one of those rare authors who can write a book that children will understand while keeping adults (who are into fantasy) entertained. It’s cool, I am reading children’s books for my daughter’s sake. Most children’s authors write to children with their adult readers as an afterthought. Some children’s authors seem to write for the adults reading with too many references to things that a kid just won’t get. The book, though brief, tells such a great story with a great premise, wonderful plot, and even a fun subplot. You cannot read this book without feeling sympathy for Goblin and cheering for him as he decides to go out into the world even though he gets disrespected by everyone he meets. Hatke tells this story from the Goblin’s perspective, and he does a masterful job humanizing the lowest humanoid of the fantasy world. The next day an adventuring party takes his stuff. That’s the life of a goblin in role-playing games, and NOBODY LIKES A GOBLIN starts out in the same manner (but without the killing). We took what little treasure we found and ran out of there. Without any discussion, we attacked and won. There they were-two goblins walking down the hallway. The adventuring party was worried because we had already been chased out by a troll that we knew we could not handle. My level one druid heard a noise in the hallway. There I was, a teenager hopped up on Mountain Dew.
Hatke’s storytelling can appeal to any child, though.
Just buy the book (or read further if you would like).
If you have ever enjoyed role-playing games, Tolkien novels, or just cheering for the underdog, you have no reason to read further. Something tells me that before Ben Hatke wrote this book he took out his 20-sided die and won his saving throw against writer’s block because NOBODY LIKES A GOBLIN is in the top five best children’s books I have ever enjoyed. In the interest of full disclosure, I received a complimentary advanced electronic copy of NOBODY LIKES A GOBLIN through Netgalley.
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