The Story of Gumluck and the Heroes: Book Three

Gumluck the Wizard #3

by Adam Rex

The story of Gumluck continues! From New York Times bestselling author Adam Rex, this acclaimed, laugh-out-loud series is perfect for young fans of magic, wizardry, and the special alchemy of friendship.

A hero fights for what is right! A hero's aim is true! Is the hero of this story like that? I don’t know. He is the kind of person who might turn you into a donut if he's thinking too hard about donuts. His name is Gumluck the Wizard, and he is on a Quest. Along the way he’ll discover singing goblins, unicorn magic, a possible ostrich that breathes definite fire, and three companions who are pretty sure they’re heroes already.

With delightful illustrations and a lighthearted mix of fantasy and fairytale elements, this third installment in the chapter book series starring Gumluck the Wizard is a hilarious tale for the reluctant hero in all of us.

FIVE STARRED REVIEWS FOR BOOK ONE!"Adorable."— Shelf Awareness , starred review"Readers will fall in love with [Gumluck]."— School Library Journal , starred review "Silly and heartfelt."— Publishers Weekly , starred review"[A] spellbinding read."— Booklist , starred review"Here's a tale to treasure."— Kirkus Reviews , starred review
JUST RIGHT FOR NEW With simple sentences, engaging illustrations, and big themes explored with humor and heart, this series is the perfect choice for newly independent readers who love magical tales.

DYNAMIC This hapless wizard and his lovingly critical friend Helvetica the Raven are memorable characters young readers will love rooting for.

FAVORITE Acclaimed children's book creator Adam Rex is known for his funny and smart stories. The winner of countless state list awards, Rex is the author of beloved books including, On Account of the Gum, Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, School's First Day of School, and many more.

Perfect of Adam RexParents and grandparents seeking funny early chapter book seriesTeachers and librarians looking for engaging fantasy and magic books for emerging readersAnyone looking for funny, fantasy chapter booksReaders who enjoy Chris Colfer's A Tale of Magic, the Unicorn Academy series, and Magic Tree House books

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Adventure, Chapter Books, Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile

144 pages, Paperback

Published March 3, 2026

About the author

Adam Rex grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, the middle of three children. He was neither the smart one (older brother) or the cute one (younger sister), but he was the one who could draw. He took a lot of art classes as a kid, trying to learn to draw better, and started painting when he was 11. And later in life he was drawn down to Tucson in order to hone his skills, get a BFA from the University of Arizona, and meet his physicist wife Marie (who is both the smart and cute one).

Adam is nearsighted, bad at all sports, learning to play the theremin, and usually in need of a shave. He can carry a tune, if you don't mind the tune getting dropped and stepped on occasionally. He never remembers anyone's name until he's heard it at least three times. He likes animals, spacemen, Mexican food, Ethiopian food, monsters, puppets, comic books, 19th century art, skeletons, bugs, and robots.

Garlic and crosses are useless against Adam. Sunlight has been shown to be at least moderately effective. A silver bullet does the trick. Pretty much any bullet, really.

Reviews

[Meg]

Gumluck age-appropriately addresses bullying and toxic masculinity? This series will never let me down.

[Jesse]

Our reading of this book was pretty disjointed, but enjoyable nonetheless! Helvetica continues to be my favorite character (with Dolores a close second) and Butterscotch is adorable.

The girls have enjoyed it, too, and we’re hoping there’s a fourth book in the future! 🪄

[Emily]

Another Gumluck that's just as good as the rest! I'll never get tired of Gumluck and Helvetica and the wisdom they share. "14 more!" the crowd roars

[Megan (ReadingRover)]

5 stars

[Wendy]

Such a cute book with a great message! Very heartwarming, humorous, and hopeful. And speaking of hope, I hope Adam Rex writes more Gumluck books because I will definitely read them!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

[Joey Nardinelli]

Very excited to get our hands on the third Gumluck book after a delightful Instagram ad “campaign” by Adam Rex (it wasn’t a ton of posts, but the right amount to get our son excited for the release). Definitely dealing with some slightly aged up themes around bullying and the narrow-mindedness that comes with a level of narcissism when casting oneself as the hero without doing any actually heroic deeds. But this also works so well within the fantasy setting, and with things shifting around and Gumluck off on his own adventure, I though Rex handled Butterscotch, Helvetica, and the new Raven babies with a lot of thoughtfulness. I know it’s not impossible to pay off two parallel plot threads compellingly, but it’s the continued baseline execution that then lets these works soar for other reasons — the humor, the winks and nods to adults, and the still beautiful pencil sketches. No splash visuals this time, but there are SO many page to page and some take full pages still. And a lot of great character design.

Can’t wait for the next one.

[Sarah]

Every month just before the new moon, Gumluck the extremely silly wizard invites Qamar the Very Wise Wizard Who Lives in the Moon to come visit. Because the moon gets too thin, you see. When Qamar finally comes, it is not to visit but to ask a favor. Three adventurers need a wizard to complete their party, and Qamar thinks Gumluck would be perfect. While his raven friend Helvetica wrangles her chicks, Gumluck joins Gora the warrior, Frindlefoot the archer, and Walnut the thief on their quest. But how heroic are these heroes, really? Another hilarious, adorable adventure for the lovable wizard.

[Therearenobadbooks]

Very sweet! This time the Gumluck will go on a quest with other heroes, like D&D but knowing Gumluck as we do, we know that he won't let magical animals get caught, or hurt for the wrong reasons. This one has a lot of great characters and they even go to a Goblin Castle. We laughed a lot when Gumluck was surprised that his companions went along with his plan. The lesson is short and powerful, sometimes we want to please everyone, or do what we want, or do the right thing, but most of the time these are not the same. So happy to have read this arc.

[Carrie Griffin]

Another adorable story in the Gumluck series. This one had a great lesson for younger readers and I hope parents pick it up, along with the rest of the series. Gumluck is a true example of a hero and I think children could really use that story. Helvetica’s narration was great as always and I love the joke with the titles all having to have quest in them. Gave me a little chuckle. This and the previous books are perfect books for younger readers.

*Thank you Edeleweiss for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

[Amanda Murphy]

I received and ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ho. Ly. Cow. I am a huge fan of Gumluck. I'm much too old to wait on pins and needles for Helvitica to tell his next story. And yet, I do. This is definitely the best of the three so far. I love Gumluck. I just want to cuddle him. I love Helvetica. I have actual real life friends that are so much like her, it's crazy. And they are, indeed, heroes.

[Rachel Thompson]

Goodness! I didn't think Gumluck could get any better, but now we've got visitors from the moon?! What?!

In this third installment of the series, Gumluck and Butterscotch go questing with a warrior, elf, and raccoon in tow. Along the way, they discover the true meaning of the word 'hero'.

There's unicorns and goblins and fabulous, rhyming questing songs. A wonderful addition to the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Jester, King's Favorite Fool]

This is the last book in the Gumluck the Wizard series. I really enjoyed books one and two, but the last one wasn't to my liking. That isn't to say I disliked it, It just means it is my least favorite in the series. It was still an enjoyable read, and I am glad I picked it up.

Personal Rating: ⭐3/5

Note: Using new rating system starting 2025.

[Chrissy]

I really love Gumluck. He sees the world very much like the young readers who I hope will pick up this book. He has doubts, but still tries to do the right thing. His no nonsense raven friend is an excellent narrator and a great tool to explain to readers what Gumluck may have misunderstood. I wish more students would find this story and learn what a real hero looks like.

[Josh]

Another really fun, inventive, and charming Gumluck book. If these had hit when my kids were the right age they would probably be one of their top favorite books. Rex has a talent for keeping things wholesome and the story satisfying while having enough curveballs to keep things really interesting. I was enchanted the entire time.

[Dippit! with E.S.Jennette]

Gumluck is back at it again with his friends Lorem, Butterscotch, Qamar and Gara.

They have a quest that was requested of them from a crystal ball, and together they venture out to let the goblins know that what they are doing is not OK.

Gumluck has really come into his own with this story and knows he needs the help of his friends to succeed.

A very well-versed story indeed!

[Elizabeth Johnson]

Very cute book in the Gumluck the Wizard series. Someone suggested this as a possible Newbery contender, but I don't agree, mostly because I'm not sure it stands alone without reading the previous two. Still, it's a fun read a loud for younger kids and an empowering first chapter book for beginning readers. 3.5 stars

[Alara Jennings]

The ensemble cast in this one is too great. My favorite is the Dragonfly robot with steam clouds as a scarf. Brilliant design. Not to spoiler alert or anything, but you’re gonna want to read this for the goblins. There’s a song that is just too jolly of a good time to miss out on.
Oh, my kids like it too.

[Jessica]

This. Was. OUTSTANDING!!! The Very Wise Wizard who lives in the moon asks Gumluck to help some adventurers. But as their journey progresses, Gumluck does not feel good about helping them obtain what they want. Meanwhile, Helvetica's daughter breathes fire instead of flying. This story and the moral were fantastic, and there was just the right amount of humor.

[Alethia]

Gumluck and the Heroes

Another cute and funny story for the series with a good lesson to be found. I love how silly Gumluck is, but how he also learns a lesson while helping the heroes.

[Lena]

A very heartwarming story about differences and knowing the importance of doing what is right even when it is hard. Adam Rex also plays with a variety of tropes that make it entertaining to older readers. I just saw there is a fourth book and I am very excited!

[Lauren ∥ bookedmama]

Gumluck is pure joy.

[Frank McGirk]

Surprisingly well-written and clever.

Very fun...even the preachy bits.

[Rachel N.]

This hilarious series has never let me down, and this book about really being a hero is no exception to that.

[Samvander]

3.5

[Justice]

Yay Gumluck! I love these books so dang much

[Hannah Holm]

We love the Gumluck books in our house. Perfect mix of humor and heart

[Julia]

The three Gumluck books out so far are a delight! They are quirky and cute, and their messages are unique and well demonstrated. A recommended read for all ages!

[Elaine Fultz, kinda retired librarian]

Disappointing after really enjoying the first two. Maybe it was the audiobook's presentation?

[kim]

Funny/silly/cute

[Jill Milnes]

Such an adorable series! We liked the third one the best, but they’re all very fun reads.