Reviews for The Goblin and the Empty Chair

The average rating for The Goblin and the Empty Chair based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-09-04 00:00:00 Sukhbir Basra In a land far away, there lived a goblin who had once seem himself reflected in a still pond. His reflection had frightened him so much, he decided to hide his face from the world forever, so as not to frighten anyone else... and spent many years alone. The accompanying illustrations have even more pathos: the goblin is happily gamboling along picking flowers when he is confronted with his own hideousness. The blossoms fall to the ground as he claps his hands over his face. He stumbles homes with his eyes shut, one hand outstretched. Even when he is alone in the following years, he hides his face from himself and from the natural world, as if he were too ugly for even the sun and trees to tolerate. This is a pretty freakin' sad story!

Review # 2 was written on 2019-08-29 00:00:00 Mars Volta Convinced that his face is so ugly that it will frighten others, a tender-hearted goblin hides himself away from the world, growing more and more lonely as the years pass. Then one day, happening upon a family suffering from a terrible (and unspoken) loss, he sets out to help in the only way he knows: in secret... This lovely little tale from Mem Fox - author of such children's favorites as Time for Bed and Possum Magic - touches upon the communal and reciprocal nature of healing: the goblin sets out to help the family, but it is clear to the reader that he too needs help. Although the exact nature of the family's loss is never stated, the empty chair at mealtime, and a family portrait seen in one of the illustrations, makes it plain that a child has died. In a moment of true psychological insight, the family's healing begins (much as it did with the goblin) when they decide to help another: to include him in their community. The simple narrative of The Goblin and the Empty Chair, with no more than a sentence per page, is made all-the-more powerful by the gorgeous ink and watercolor art of Caldecott-winning illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon. With Renaissance-inspired details, an appealing palette, and expressive characters, their panels are a joy to behold. A definite must for fairy-tale readers!