We're Going on a Goon Hunt

August 1, 2020
Hunt for a bear? That's so yesterday. On a spooky Halloween night, we're hunting for...a green GOON. We're not really scared. Let's start in a pumpkin patch. We can't go over or under it, so we'll just go through it. We'll do the same in other likely goon hideouts: a swamp, a tunnel, a forest, a graveyard, and, finally, a haunted house. In this atmospheric "petrifying parody" of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, a dad and his four kids, dressed in Halloween finery and accompanied by their costumed pup, search for the elusive quarry. They become more frightened (particularly dad and pooch, even from the outset) as they proceed along the increasingly murky path--except for the youngest, unicorn-outfitted child, who squeals a delighted welcome to whatever creature unexpectedly materializes. As in the classic original, evocative sound effects ("Gurgle hiss, gurgle hiss, gurgle hiss!") ring out as the quintet moves through each hazard. Unsurprisingly, the group locates the goon, forcing them to retrace their steps home in a frenzied hurry, odd noises and all. They reach safety to discover...uh-oh! Meanwhile, someone's missing but having a ball! Even readers who've never read or heard about the bear expedition will appreciate this clever, comical, fast-paced take. The colorful line illustrations are humorously brooding and sweetly endearing, with the family (all members present White) portrayed as growing steadily apprehensive. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-20.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 74.6% of actual size.) Young readers will hunt out this enjoyable crowd pleaser again and again. (Picture book. 3-7)

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August 17, 2020
Echoing the scheme and cadence of the classic children’s song, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” Rex’s latest sassy send-up brings back the title character of his Goodnight Goon, as a costume-clad adult and kids set out to find the amiable green monster on Halloween night. When they can’t go over or under a sequence of obstacles (including a “murky, bubbling swamp” and a “foggy, crumbling graveyard”), the adventurers clamber through them—growing increasingly scared—except for one. In a comically ironic twist, the sole intrepid soul is the youngest and most cheerfully clad, decked out in a pink unicorn costume, who is content to engage in a cemetery dance party while the others bolt for home. Sprinkled with lurking monsters to spot, Rex’s mixed-media pictures have a timeless feel that renders this tale much more charming than chilling. Ages 3–5.

July 1, 2020
"We're going on a goon hunt. / We're gonna catch a green one. / What a spooky night! / We're not scared." You know the going-on-a-bear-hunt structure (and if you don't, see also We're Going on a Pumpkin Hunt, reviewed at right). Here, the target is a grinning green monster, and the mixed-media illustrations show the costumed speakers traversing a cemetery and a haunted house and meeting other Halloween-appropriate creatures, as they grow "just a little scared," then more scared, and ultimately race back home. Well-suited for storytimes, this companion to Goodnight Goon and The Runaway Mummy lets readers look the season in its green or translucent face and laugh.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2020
"We're going on a goon hunt. / We're gonna catch a green one. / What a spooky night! / We're not scared." You know the going-on-a-bear-hunt structure (and if you don't, see also We're Going on a Pumpkin Hunt, reviewed at right). Here, the target is a grinning green monster, and the mixed-media illustrations show the costumed speakers traversing a cemetery and a haunted house and meeting other Halloween-appropriate creatures, as they grow "just a little scared," then more scared, and ultimately race back home. Well-suited for storytimes, this companion to Goodnight Goon and The Runaway Mummy lets readers look the season in its green or translucent face and laugh. Shoshana Flax

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)