THE GOBLIN TWINS

A pair of mischievous siblings discover a new world.

At 601 years old, Doki and Kebi are considered goofy and immature by the other dokkaebi (Korean goblins). Yet that doesn’t hold them back from pursuing their own interests. Doki, who is bright orange with purple hair and one yellow horn, doesn’t like to scare people and instead gives them gold or silver, which he magically conjures up with his club. He also loves spending time in the abandoned house where he lives, reading books. Kebi, his blue-skinned, green-haired, two-horned twin, is his opposite. He loves “scaring people a bit too much” as well as exploring. After hearing that their house in Seoul is going to be demolished, Kebi suggests that the two go to New York, where “there are haunted houses, and people go visit them because they WANT to be scared!” After much reflection Doki agrees, and the two are comically portrayed riding in the engine of a plane on its way to America. Cha’s narrative is straightforward yet humorous; an author’s note offering more information on dokkaebi rounds out the tale. Kim artfully employs dark hues and shadows with spots of bright color to invoke a spooky yet friendly tone, especially when a group of trick-or-treaters ends up giving the endearing dokkaebi a scare of their own. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet, comical Halloween venture for all.