"What first appears to be a Goreyesque cautionary tale for troublesome children comically turns the tables to target inept parents instead. . . . Sardà plays up the story’s situational humor in her detailed, vintage-toned watercolors, ensuring that kids get the joke that the parents are the difficult ones, not Duckworth. A lightly macabre, utterly amusing read."

– Booklist

"Sardà's illustrations blend a gothic sensibility with an art deco style."

– Kirkus Reviews

"The visual sensibility is a sort of gothic art deco elegance, in a rich palette dominated by the orange of the cobra; double-page spreads allow plenty of room for the gigantic snake to coil and curl and slither. The significant humor comes from the disconnect between the child's expereince and the adults' disregard (shades of the classic The Shrinking of Treehorn)—to which most children can surely relate."

– The Horn Book

"Sussman’s sendup of modern parenting (he is a clinical psychologist), dedicated to 'difficult children everywhere,' is well paired with illustrator Júlia Sardà, who is capable of pulling off a quirky Gorey-esque vibe. She brings distant, angular lines and cool colors to Duckworth’s home and even to his parents, which are effectively juxtaposed with the curving, sensual lines and vivid orange of the mammoth snake. Sardà does offbeat well. . . . There’s an understated humor to Duckworth’s ability to tolerate [his parents] and his necessity for self-sufficiency. After all, in the end, Duckworth saves himself."

– BookPage