Tree Goblins

by David Melling

The land of the goblins is hidden, but not so far away. If you look carefully, you might just find it ...Butterfingers and Mildew need to take more care of their egglets! After all, there's a snootle-pig about ...

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2007

About the author

David Melling grew up in London with various siblings and a selection of animals, including a dog. It took him a while to decide what he wanted to do, but he never stopped drawing. He worked as a cel renderer and background artist in several animation studios before he began illustrating children’s books. His work includes the Hugless Douglas series and The Kiss That Missed, which was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. To date he has created around 150 books in over thirty languages. David Melling lives in Oxfordshire, England, with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

unlike stone goblins , in my opinion tree goblins shows another level of children's storytelling. the characters, the plot, the suspense of will they find the egglets? - immaculate. this was super enjoyable!

[Erika Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely Goblins book! I can't wait to read the next one 😊

[Anita Kovacevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty and relatable

When you are a fantasy fan and a children's books fan, such as myself, and a parent and teacher as well, one of your ideas of fun is reading witty, intelligent books which can make you laugh, feel good, relate to everyday life (metaphorically, of course) and leave you wanting for more. And if possible, a good book should inspire us to share it with someone.

This book does all that, topping the reading cake with wonderful illustrations which go hand in hand with the story. It is impossible to envision one wihout the other. Some goblins do remind me of some people I know, which makes me recommend it heartily to adults, not just kids.

The introductory pages offer a funny description of characters, which will have you chuckling from page one. I couldn't help but hear (in my head) the voice of Hugh Laurie (his British English version) reading it aloud. When was the last time a book had you laughing out loud or at least chuckling?

The story itself reads almost like a play, and invites creative storytelling. I will not write any spoilers, save for a few comments - three eggs certainly can cause havoc and excitement you wouldn't believe. Creatures such as all manner of goblins, a ground-bat, and a snootle-pig are only glimpses into what awaits you in the Wandering Wood. (Brief note to parents - if you sometimes feel like Butterfingers or Mildew, know that you are not alone.)

Tree Goblins are a welcome addition to our family collection of books by author and illustrator David Melling. My only tiny regret, knowing the beautiful renditions of Hugless Douglas, The Tale of Jack Frost and other books, is that these Tree Goblins' illustrations are black-and-white. The language flows in a recognizable humorous style and even the chapter titles lend themselves to puns.

It can be quite difficult nowadays to come by a fantasy book for children which doesn't involve brutality and death, so coming across a book which has funny goblins and talking trees, who also teach us a lot about patience, family and friendship, is a miracle to cherish. Enjoy it with your kids, let them enjoy it for themselves, and then sneak off with it and read it again, just for yourself, drawing comparisons with the real world. To quote the author...
'If a bit of luck comes your way, it really is a good idea to make sure you keep hold of it.'

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was also really really cool!!! The tree goblins have some really strange habbits! but it makes it really fun to read. They went on a great adventure and even though the female kepped getting dropped while they were in the tree they made it in the end. Over all it was a funny book to read and you can read it over and over again.

[V Alice]

It is very funny