"Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in a bowl on the dresser in a boy's room." The upside-down goldfish drifts out the window to begin his quiet, solemn afterlife. As he glides past towns and beaches and oceans teeming with busy life, he learns that it's "hard to find the company you are looking for." Returning eventually to his bowl, he finds that another goldfish--a live one--has taken his place. "She seemed nice enough, but she was not good company, and the moon called Goldfish Ghost back out the window." It's not until our solitary hero encounters another friendless soul--the ghost of a lighthouse keeper--that he finds the company he's been longing for.
Young readers who have lost a loved one will find solace in this gentle, meditative tale, but all will appreciate the sweetness of finally feeling "at home" with a friend. The true magic of Goldfish Ghost comes with the harmonizing of author and illustrator's talents; Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events) and Lisa Brown (The Airport Book) previously collaborated on The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming. Brown's India-ink-and-watercolor, muted blue/gray/gold illustrations are reminiscent of 1960s and '70s picture books. One of the most ethereal and affecting moments in recent picture books comes when the lighthouse keeper takes Goldfish Ghost "in her quiet hands and placed him where the light had once shone for sailors at sea." The image of the upside-down ghostly white fish contentedly suspended in the center of the massive lighthouse lantern is strikingly unforgettable. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor