The Gillygoofang

by George Mendoza, Mercer Mayer (Illustrator)

The gillygoofang is a most unusual fish whose actions always bewilder his friends and sometimes bewilder himself

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Mitchell Friedman]

This one came through my wife's interlibrary loan from Brigham Young University, Provo UT.

I think this would have been better without all of the words. The art was good really all the way through. The art probably could have carried the entire story. Instead the repetitiveness of the text really added very little.

Silly. Trippy. 3.5 of 5

[Veronica]

My mom had been searching for this book for a long time. She told me it was my favorite book as a little child and I checked it out from the library so many times that I wore the book out. I don't remember it at all and want to find it. It's been out of print for for over 30 years, and I found someone selling it on Amazon for $100. I'm debating on whether to get it or not. ... Does anyone else remember this book?

[Phil]

Remembered from childhood. Thank goodness for the interlibrary loan system.

Mayer's art is amazing, of course. Mendoza's prose is a tad clunky but I like the whole ridiculous book. Square eggs, fish that eat grass, etc and so forth.

[Ann]

A fanciful children’s book that delighted both parents and children. Great illustrations.

[Archetype]

I believe this book has been out of print since '85, so if you find it, you're very lucky. The Gillygoofang is a strange fish that manages to bewilder every other strange creature in the brook - the big and small fish, the fisherman, the hoopsnake, the bat, the bird that lays square, eggs, etc - the book reads much like "The House that Jack Built" but is exponentially more entertaining. Can you guess how the Gillygoofang might bewilder himself?