Blog Tour Stop! Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke

Published by First Second on September 2017
Genres: Graphic Novel
Buy on Amazon Goodreads

4.5 Stars

The garden behind Jack’s house has gone wild with creatures set loose by the magic beans Jack and his kid sister Maddy planted. One particularly mean creature has kidnapped Maddy and carried her off. Now Jack and his neighbor Lilly must follow her to a world between worlds beyond the vines and stalks, where giants grind the bones of human children to feed their beast in the castle up above, and a fearsome goblin king rules down below. It'll take more than Lilly’s bag of concoctions and tricks, and more than one hero, to rescue Maddy, reunite Jack's family, and bring them all safely home again.

Thank you to First Second for allowing me to participate in this blog tour!

What a fun sequel!

If you haven’t read the first book Mighty Jack, go get it. You need to read it to fully enjoy this fast paced sequel.

I devoured the first book Mighty Jack only to plunge head fist into the sequel. It was filled with as much fun and imagination as the first. The story was moving so fast I think kids of all ages will love this book.

I really liked Jack who was kind and trying to be a good brother and good son. He was brave and calm and old for his age, but grew quickly into a take charge character in the first book. Now, faced with going into a deep dark world he’s never been to rescue his sister, Jack really shines.
I especially loved Maddy and his relationship. It was very sweet brother and sister bond, super positive and patient and loving.
Lilly, the girl down the road, is a fantastic character for girls too. She’s fierce and brave and curious, eventually studying the plants in the garden and being the one to not only save they with her intellect but also being super strong and training in combat! Now in this second book, Lilly takes charge again, helping Jack move through this strange Goblin universe and really truly shines apart as her destiny presents itself.
I loved the art, it really brought the plants and creatures to life. The pacing was excellent as well. The graphics moved the story along, building tension and intrigue with every frame. I loved some of the creatures in the new world.
Overall Mighty Jack and the Goblin King is super fun. I read it in one sitting and I’ll be saving my copies of both books for my daughter. She’s only 15 months now, but I’m excited to share with her Jack’s adventures. And hopefully, many more adventures to come. The ending has a fun opening that I think promises more!

Ben Hatke is the author and illustrator of the New York Times–bestselling Zita the Spacegirl trilogy, the picture books Julia’s House for Lost Creatures and Nobody Likes a Goblin, and the graphic novels Little Robot and Mighty Jack. He lives and works in the Shenandoah Valley with his wife and their boisterous pack of daughters. benhatke.com