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About The Book

A young girl and her goldfish sidekick set out to trap a monster and instead wind up making a new friend in this debut picture book that’s perfect for fans of How to Catch a Monster and Jules vs. the Ocean.

Gilly loves to flap her flippers in Lighthouse Bay…until a mysterious monster starts menacing the market! It swipes Gilly’s flippers, snatches fish, and nabs nets. So Gilly hatches a plan: she is going to catch the sneaky, rotten monster! With the help of her goldfish, Finnegan, and the townspeople, she builds a trap.

But when things go awry, Gilly discovers she and the monster may have been after the same thing all along—a friend.

About The Author

Photo courtesy of the author

Cyndi Marko is the author-illustrator of the award-winning Kung Pow Chicken early chapter book series, the graphic novel chapter books This Little Piggy: An Owner’s Manual and Boo! Hiss!, the middle grade graphic novel series Sloth Sleuth, and picture books Let’s Monster Up! and Gilly’s Monster Trap. She currently lives in Edmonton, Canada, with her quiet kids and noisy cats. Learn more at CyndiMarko.com.

About The Illustrator

Photo courtesy of the author

Cyndi Marko is the author-illustrator of the award-winning Kung Pow Chicken early chapter book series, the graphic novel chapter books This Little Piggy: An Owner’s Manual and Boo! Hiss!, the middle grade graphic novel series Sloth Sleuth, and picture books Let’s Monster Up! and Gilly’s Monster Trap. She currently lives in Edmonton, Canada, with her quiet kids and noisy cats. Learn more at CyndiMarko.com.

Why We Love It

“Fans of the bestselling How to Catch series will fall in love with this funny picture book mystery, featuring a not-so-scary monster, a flipper-loving girl, and her goldfish sidekick.”

—Catherine L., Editor, on Gilly’s Monster Trap

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (April 18, 2023)
  • Length: 40 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781665907569
  • Grades: P - 3
  • Ages: 4 - 8
  • Lexile ® AD530L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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Raves and Reviews

"Rendered in sprightly watercolor and ink cartoons, Marko’s action-packed picture book debut features a panoply of compositional styles, lively language, and a protagonist that is the very definition of mettle."

– Publishers Weekly

"A cheerful tale certain to ensnare readers."

– Kirkus Reviews

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More books from this author: Cyndi Marko