School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-This delightful graphic novel is filled with unconventional characters. There's Luey, 10, who wants to be Indiana Jones when she grows up; her best friend, Phil, a frog, who's the same age she is; and Luey's little sister, Miri, who likes plasticine and shrinky dinks. The sisters' mother, who can do incredible yoga moves, has used her magical powers to turn their dad into a cat. Luey, Phil, and Miri set out to the goblin kingdom to rescue the girls' father, who has been made King of the Goblins by the feline-worshipping creatures. They navigate the goblin colony with skill and determination. Readers will enjoy the witty dialogue and the funny crew of adventurers, despite the sometimes convoluted story line. Wilson's incredible Technicolor art and dynamic drawings will enchant kids. The work's anatomy of a goblin section is a hilarious bonus. A highly recommended purchase for collections in need of graphic novels with diverse characters for the younger set.-Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A pair of sisters and a froggy sidekick go up against a horde of fungal jungle dwellers in this frantically paced Canadian import. When Mom transforms Dad into a cat, 10-year-old Luey, her leggy green friend, Phil, and little sister Miri chase him through a closet door and down a jungle path into a maze of tunnels. They manage to rescue their errant parent from the maroon-colored, cat-worshiping goblins that had overrun the garden. (They are not the "mythological" sort, explains Wilson, but sentient mushrooms dressed in towels.) The three put most of their pursuers to flight by rubbing Dad's fur the wrong way to turn him into a raving, furry maniac (the rest flee at the closet door, screaming "IT'S THE MOM CREATURE! RETREAT!!"). Captured in multiple, sometimes overly small panels of garishly colored cartoon art, the actionnot to mention the internal logicis sometimes hard to follow. Still, dragging along their timorous but canny buddy, the dark-skinned, big-haired sisters dash into danger with commendable vim, and readers will cheer when they come out triumphant on the other side. This high-wattage debut is a little rough around the edges, but there's nary a dull moment. (afterword) (Graphic fantasy. 7-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Luey and Miri have an . . . unusual home life. Their best friend is a human-size frog named Phil, their mom has some inexplicable magic powers, and their dad is a cat in every way. One day, Cat Dad bolts into the linen closet with Miri hot on his tail, and Luey and Phil tumble in after them. But this linen closet is far from just storage inside is a forest and a goblin cave, and those goblins kidnap the ragtag crew. It turns out Cat Dad is a bit of a celebrity to the goblins, and they want to show their appreciation by planting him on a fancy throne. It's a nonsensical story with an even more nonsensical conclusion, but it's best not to look for logic, since the off-the-wall fun and comical scenes capture kids' imaginative games perfectly. Wilson's purple-heavy palette, loopy cartoon figures, and playful sound effects (FLA-WALLOP) are a great complement to the fast-paced story, which should find an eager audience among fans of the TV show Adventure Time.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2014 Booklist
