THE INK DRINKER

by Æ’ric Sanvoisin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1998

The story of an ink-drinking vampire, and the boy who discovers his nefarious behavior. The nameless boy who narrates is the son of a bibliophile and bookstore owner. The boy isn't much of a reader (""I guess I do like the sound of paper being tom. It's like music to my ears"") and welcomes shoplifters, but he has been dragooned into helping at the shop during his summer vacation. He spies on the customers, one of whom is a strange-looking gent who inserts a straw into a book and starts sipping; when the boy later opens the book, the pages are blank. The boy confronts the ghoul in his coffin; the vampire is allergic to blood, and ink is all he can digest--""Bottled ink is as bland as salt-free food. But ink that has been aged on paper, well, it's the ultimate gourmet dish. Simply sublime."" There's the intimated nip in the boy's neck, and he becomes a book fiend just like his father, albeit with different tastes. Sanvoisin's tale is funny and hip, written with gathering suspense; it's a cut above most fare for emerging readers, and plays mildly to their sense of the macabre. Matje's inspired, eccentric illustrations recall the styles of Tomi Ungerer and Edward Gorey.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1998

Categories: CHILDREN'S