Gilly’s Monster Trap

In this debut picture book, author-illustrator Cyndi Marko introduces readers to Gilly. She is a delightful enchanting girl known by all residents in the quaint seaside town of Lighthouse Bay as being practically a fish. “Everyone said so.” Besides carrying her pet fish Finnegan, Gilly loves her flippers and never goes anywhere in town without them on her feet. She spends most of her time on the beach and waters of Lighthouse Bay. Then one day, the rumors circulating about the town of a potential ‘monster’ seizing everything from a sweater to prawns and snapper come true for Gilly. While Gilly is perching at the end of the dock, she idly dips her flipper into the water and is startled as something suddenly snatches one of her beloved flippers right off her foot! Filled with indignation, she yells out “That’s it, Finnegan. I’m going to CATCH that sneaky rotten monster and get my flippers back!”

Filled with resolve, Gilly enlists the help of the townspeople, and together they build a trap to catch the mysterious sea monster. While on monster lookout, a commotion in the bay alerts Gilly that something has been caught. Fearing that whatever it is could drown, she rushes to convince the townsfolk to help release the wily creature. As the creature is freed and races away, its identity remains a mystery. Content that the mysterious monster is safe, Gilly heads back to the beach only to unexpectedly stumble into the hidden ‘monster trap’ on the beach. Time passes, and sounds from above give Gilly pause. Hanging on to a piece of rope, she is pulled up from the trap. The unknown rescuer turns out to be a friendly walrus that is looking for company. It is at that moment that Gilly realizes that the ‘sea monster’ seems to be lonely. Gilly and Finnegan eagerly take on the role of friends. In the end, everyone in town gets their items back and also become friends with the walrus.

This narrative is filled with action and enough mystery to keep readers engaged and pages turning. The loose artistic style of vibrant vivid watercolour illustrations allows the eye to wander across the page. The addition of Gilly’s pet goldfish lends comic relief as his expressions often mimic Gilly’s facial expressions. Beautiful double-page spreads and birds-eye views prompt the reader to pause and observe the scenes presented. Varied sizes of coloured fonts and perspectives sprinkled throughout the story create interesting visuals and vignettes allowing the story to fully develop to a satisfying conclusion.

For those who wish to know more about walruses, there are two pages divided between walrus facts and websites to visit.