- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
- Horror
Snot Goblins and Other Tasteless Tales
Five gross-out horror-comedy tales from Emmy-winning writer Rob Kutner and cartoonist David DeGrand: booger demons, a soft-hearted vampire and a 2,000-year-old stepmummy, all funnier and more heartfelt than the title suggests.
- Best for8–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length224 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr45 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Scary
- Absurdist
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Introduced by the World's Most Repulsive Storyteller, this middle-grade graphic anthology serves up five disgustingly hilarious tales of horror. A boy who skives off school 'sick' finds his escaped booger is the least of his worries when he uncovers the demonic Snot Goblins massing for war. A turn-of-the-century vampire who refuses to kill anyone travels from a Romanian village to America, a disappointment to his blood-drinking family. A dad remarries a 2,000-year-old mummy, the real Pharaoh Hatshepsut, and gains a stepmummy. Written by Emmy-winning comedy writer Rob Kutner and drawn in David DeGrand's gleefully grotesque cartoon style, the stories pile on the gross-out gags but smuggle in real warmth about family, difference and belonging. A perfect gateway for readers who love their comics equal parts funny, scary and revolting.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A gross-out horror-comedy graphic novel aimed at 8 to 12s, especially reluctant readers. The scares are cartoonish rather than nightmarish, but sensitive younger children may prefer to wait; there is no true bedtime calm here.
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- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Patchy
Works well for
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Reluctant readers
- Loves gross out
- Horror comedy fans
- Graphic novel fans
Avoid if
- Dislikes gross humour
- Easily scared
- Wants gentle stories
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Booger demons, a vampire who won't bite anyone and a mummy stepmum: five silly-scary stories that lean hard into the gross-out but always land a proper punchline. DeGrand's cartoons make the disgusting bits gleefully fun rather than genuinely frightening.
- Trickery and cleverness
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
An Emmy-winning comedy writer packs each disgusting tale with actual heart, immigration, blended families, being the odd one out, so the gross-out reads pull reluctant readers in and leave something behind. Fast, funny and reliably re-read.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
About the creators
About the creators.
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