If your kid has already burned through every Dog Man book and is currently staring at the wall, My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish is the emergency stash you’ve been looking for. It operates on the same frequency as a Saturday morning cartoon—fast, loud, and unconcerned with being "educational." Mo O'Hara taps into that specific 7-year-old logic where the only thing better than a pet is a pet with hypnotic powers that can help you take down a bully.
The Evil Scientist Engine
The core of this series isn't actually the fish; it’s the sibling rivalry. Mark, the older brother, is a quintessential "evil scientist" trope. He’s the primary source of the conflict, and while the Guardian review calls the humor bonkers, the tension comes from Tom and his friend Pradeep constantly playing defense.
The "moron" issue cited by critics is real, but it’s helpful to view it through the lens of a kid’s first encounter with satire. Mark is a caricature of every unfair authority figure or mean older sibling a kid has ever dealt with. When Frankie the Goldfish uses his zombie powers to thwart Mark’s plans, it’s pure wish fulfillment. If you’re okay with your kid seeing a villain get his comeuppance in a way that’s a little snarky, this will land perfectly.
The "Gateway" Effect
The pacing here is what makes it a "gateway" book. The chapters are short, the illustrations by Marek Jagucki break up the text every few pages, and the stakes are reset quickly. This is the kind of book a kid reads under the covers with a flashlight because they actually want to know how they’re going to stop a "Super Electric Zombie Eel" or a "Vampire Kitten."
If this series sparks an interest in animals—even the undead kind—you might want to pivot that energy toward something more grounded once they finish the boxed set. While Frankie doesn't require much in the way of flakes or water changes, our guide to books about taking care of pets can help bridge the gap between "zombie fish adventures" and the actual responsibility of a living creature.
If they liked this, what's next?
Think of this as the middle ground between the pure visual chaos of a graphic novel and the denser text of something like Sideways Stories from Wayside School. It’s more sophisticated than a picture book but less demanding than a 300-page fantasy novel.
- The SeaQuel and Fins of Fury keep the same energy, so if the first book clicks, just buy the boxed set.
- If they love the "thwarting the evil genius" vibe, they’ll likely move toward The Bad Guys or Holes as they get older.
- If the zombie/paranormal aspect was the hook, they're ready for the "spooky-lite" genre.
This isn't a series you buy for the prose. You buy it because it makes a kid who usually hates reading say "one more chapter" at 8:30 PM. In the world of early elementary literacy, that's a win every single time.
