ALA Booklist (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

A lonely specter of a once-loved pet goldfish wanders a beach town in search of company in this deadpan picture book from the well-loved Snicket. After growing bored of floating atop the goldfish bowl in his owner's bedroom, the ghost floats out the window and sees the sights: the pier, with loud seagulls; the main street bustling with people, none of whom need company; and the beach, covered in sunbathers and another ghostly pair, though they don't notice the goldfish. Brown's lively cartoonish illustrations render the town and its people in saturated, muted tones, and the dense scenes are full of fun details to discover, such as a school of ghost sea creatures, all in a spooky pallor and floating upside down, just like the goldfish. The crisp, white ghosts stand out sharply from the colorful scenes, but they're subtle enough that it's still a delight to spot them. And not to worry: the ghostly goldfish gets a happy ending. Hand this winsome, slightly eerie tale to fans of Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson's Leo: A Ghost Story (2015). HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Snicket's macabre tales have made him a household name; don't expect this ghost story to slip by unnoticed.

Kirkus Reviews

The ghost of a pet goldfish searches for a new home in this newest picture book from Snicket. "Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in a bowl on the dresser in a boy's room." So begins a sweet and somber tale of a literal fish out of water, who finds the afterlife exceedingly lonely. A pale umbra carried by the wind, Goldfish Ghost floats quietly (and perpetually upside down) out of his bowl in search of conversation and company. But "it can be hard to find the company you are looking for," and though he comes upon a flock of shrieking birds over the pier, a crowd of sunbathers on the beach, and even several ghosts of sea creatures hovering above the ocean, none feel quite right. Late in the day, just when he has given up, Goldfish Ghost at last hears a friendly voice of another lonely ghost hoping to find a friend, and settled atop a lighthouse, the two make excellent company. Although they occupy the same space on the page as their living counterparts, the ghostly specters (marked by their solid white coloring) are suffused with quiet emotion as they move between spreads. Mirroring the text's unhurried and occasionally awkwardly paced narrative, Brown expertly and with deceptive simplicity sets the questing ghosts apart from the frenetic bustle of the living world. A lovely, untrammeled look at a pet's afterlife. (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

-Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in a bowl on the dresser in a boy-s room,- writes Snicket (The Dark) at the outset of this melancholic looking-for-friendship story, using the fish-s off-screen death as a new beginning. Brown (The Airport Book) draws Goldfish Ghost in black and white, surrounded by a world of color; he floats through the air upside-down, as any dead fish should. No one notices the ghost as he drifts over a seaside village and beach, looking for someone to talk to. Brown packs her watercolor-and-ink spreads with activity as families enjoy the salt air and seagulls wheel, yet none of it calls to Goldfish Ghost. Even among the ghosts of other sea creatures, he doesn-t feel at home. At last, at the top of a supposedly haunted lighthouse, he finds -very good company- in the ghost of the lighthouse keeper. Goldfish Ghost is an enigmatic hero-is he lonely, or just fussy?-but Snicket-s portrayal of the lighthouse keeper-s intuitive kindness and Brown-s subdued, moonlit landscapes resolve the story with moments of magic. Ages 3-6. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary. (May)