Into the Goblin Market
Ages 4-8
A New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2024 Selection
Summer 2024 Indie Next Selection
A Quill and Quire 2024 Favourite Young Readers’ Book of the Year
A picture book ode to Christina Rossetti's classic poem and a clever homage to familiar fairy-tale villains, this story about two sisters will enthrall readers with its beautifully detailed art and enchanting writing.
Millie loves her quiet life on the farm, but Mina longs for adventure. When the Goblin Market comes to town, Millie knows it's a bad idea. They've been told stories their whole lives about the dangers of the Goblin Market. But Mina just can't resist . . .
When Mina doesn't come back, it's Millie's turn to brave the market to bring her home. She will use all her smarts and all her courage to try to outwit the goblins and save her sister . . . but will it be enough?
Reviews
“With its righteous turning of tables courtesy of Millie’s quick thinking, Into the Goblin Market . . .earns a spot in the contemporary fairytale pantheon.”
— Shelf Awareness STARRED review
“The bewitching book, based on a nineteenthcentury poem, employs rhyming couplets to tell a classic story full of high spirits and eerie entanglements. Inventive illustrations resemble vintage woodblock prints; the striking black, white, and red visuals teem with detail and drama; and the charming text is bordered by intricate frames. A beautiful blend of classic aesthetics and modern sensibilities with a marvelous message of courage and love.”
— Booklist
“VanSickle’s rhyming couplets scan well, and Eckwall’s red-accented black-and-white pictures and repeating botanical borders evoke classic children’s illustrations…a gratifying, happy-ever-after tale of symbiotic sororal cleverness.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“The poetry is hypnotic, the pictures are stunning, and the sisters are undefeated through their love.”
— Imaginary Elevators
“With Vikki VanSickle’s compelling rhyming couplets and Jensine Eckwall’s lush, moody illustrations, Into the Goblin Market has all the makings of a modern classic, while giving a delightful nod to European fairy tales…a delicious treat for those yearning for a bit of frightful adventure.”
— Book Page STARRED review
“It takes a bold person to decide to adapt The Goblin Market—a 1862 poem whose author, Christina Rossetti, said wasn’t intended for children—into a picture book. The original poem is a wild romp, dramatic and dangerous as one sister falls prey to temptation and the other must save her from a fate worse than death. VanSickle’s version retains the adventure of exploring a fairy tale world where one sister must save another. But rather than Rossetti’s headlong dive into the delights and ills that would befall a Victorian woman who gave in to all temptations, here there is a tinge of violence and desire at the story’s edges, which carries through in the beauty and malice of Eckwall’s detailed artwork.”