Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Goblin Twins (Try to) Take New York!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Goblin Twins: Too Hard to Scare, by Frances Cha/Illustrated by Jaime Kim, (Sept. 2024, Crown Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9780593480267

Ages 3-7

Doki and Kebi, two 601-year-old Korean goblin twins, are living in New York. Doki is happy to read the books in his new library, but Kebi is lonely. Attempts to make new friends aren’t working out, and New Yorkers aren’t very easy to rattle! Doki tries to give him a hand, but as readers will learn, it takes a lot – maybe even more than a shrinking Statue of Liberty – to make a New Yorker do a double-take. Readers living in Metro New York will get big laughs out of this – I sure did! – and folks outside of New York will get a hearty laugh at all the ways the twins try to shake things up: make the trains run late? Pfft – that’s just expected. Fill the streets with smoke? It would be weirder if the streets were clear, depending on where you’re walking! Make tables float in the air? People will just grumble that they can’t find a seat. It’s a fun play on people’s perspectives on New York, and Kim’s digital illustration is bright, colorful, and beautifully captures New York landmarks (and yes, I’m including traffic as a landmark). The story’s touching plot about finding someone who always has your back shines through the laughter. A fun read-aloud and a fun New York story that’s good for any time of year. The Goblin Twins: Too Hard to Scare is the follow-up to 2022’s The Goblin Twins.

If your kids are asking for more information on dokkaebi, you can find more information about them at Mythology Planet. Download a free curriculum guide at Frances Cha’s website.

“An amusing tale of sibling love and mischief.” —Kirkus Reviews
Frances Cha often wonders what it would take to scare a New Yorker, and also wishes she could finish reading all the books in a library! The dokkaebi who used to eat socks in her laundry basket now delights in hiding her keys whenever she needs them. Her novel (for grown-ups) If I Had Your Face was named a best book of the year by NPR, USA Today, and Time. She teaches creative writing at Columbia University and divides her time between New York and South Korea. To learn more, and to download a free curriculum guide, visit francescha.com.
Jaime Kim has illustrated many books for young readers, including La La La: A Story of Hope by Kate DiCamillo and Ready for the Spotlight! which was her debut as an author and illustrator. Her illustrated book Take Heart, My Child was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Like her character Doki, Jaime once preferred staying at home and creating art over exploring the wider world. But now she loves traveling, discovering new places, and connecting with new people. Also like Doki and Kebi, she was born and raised in South Korea and now lives in the United States. For more information, visit jaimekim.com.

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I'm a mom, a children's librarian, bibliophile, and obsessive knitter. I'm a pop culture junkie and a proud nerd, and favorite reads usually fall into Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I review comics and graphic novels at WhatchaReading (http://whatchareading.com). I'm also the co-founder of On Wednesdays We Wear Capes (http://www.onwednesdays.net/), where I discuss pop culture and geek fandom from a female point of view.

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