#166 of 1001 · January 13, 2021

I am deeply moved by this gentle meditation on grief and healing: The Goblin and the Empty Chair by Mem Fox and Leo and Diane Dillon. A kindly goblin isolates himself from the rest of the world, convinced that anyone who sees his face will recoil from his ugliness. After many years of solitude, he comes upon a farm where a father, a mother, and a child all seem to be distracted from their work by a mysterious sorrow. The emerging connection between the goblin and the family transforms each of their lives and allows them an unexpected chance to heal. Fox’s text quietly evokes an atmosphere of tenderness and mutual understanding. The Dillons’ ink-and-watercolor art delicately renders subtle shades of emotion in the characters’ expressions. The married co-illustrators cleverly fill in extra details between the main action beats of the story through a comic-strip-style panel at the top of each page; unusually, a unique image on the back cover of the book reveals a bright new chapter for the humans and their goblin friend. #goblin #empty #chair #grief #loss #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks