Review: Goldfish Ghost

Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in the bowl on a dresser in a boy’s room. The boy’s room was pleasant and familiar, but Goldfish Ghost wanted company, so he set out to find a friend.

He floats over the neighborhood, past the pier, and let the breeze carry him into town where he discovers that not many people pay attention to goldfish ghosts.

Off he floats, searching for the perfect home and the perfect friend

and then he hears a voice…

When this picture book arrived as part of a publicity package from the lovely team at Raincoast Books, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’d read some reviews on other websites, and the response seemed to be very mixed. I could easily see why – a picture book about a dead goldfish could be bit of a tough sell for young children (or their parents, to be precise).

Goldfish Ghost tells the story of a late goldfish who searches for company, and finds it at last in a haunted lighthouse. The story is bare-bones at best, with minimal text, limited backstory, and an admittedly odd premise.

I will agree that Goldfish Ghost might not seem to fit the traditional mass-produced picture book framework. Nothing much really happens, the idea of a dead goldfish might be unpleasant, and the ending raises more questions than it answers.

And still I found it quite lovely.

I loved the quiet gentleness of the text. I loved the charming, vintage-inspired illustrations. And I loved the strange ending, with all its unanswered questions. There’s an almost surreal, magical quality to the text, which uses straight-forward language to tell its strange and wondrous tale.

Goldfish Ghost certainly won’t be every child’s cup of tea, but it will surely be the right book for the right child, who will enjoy pouring over each spread and enjoying each element of the detailed illustrations, and will find comfort in the idea that there is someone out there for everyone, and that everyone can find a place where they belong.

Goldfish Ghost

Hardcover, 40 pages
May 2, 2017 : Roaring Book Press
Source: Raincoast Books