Run, don’t shamble, to get this original zombie tale.
Everyone knows zombies love to eat brains. What happens when one has a taste for something else, instead?
“Reginald was not like the other zombies,” preferring peanut-butter–and-jelly sandwiches to brains. Reginald tries the corner cafe, but no zombies are allowed there. He goes to the school cafeteria only to be served “a hunk of meat loaf” that “looked an awful lot like brains.” Oscar’s Grocery has the ingredients he needs, but all he has in his pockets are worms. When all hope seems lost, he spots a girl with a telltale jelly stain seeping through her paper bag. As Reginald shambles toward her, the rest of the zombies follow. They want brains, Reginald wants the sandwich, and the townspeople want them all to go away. In a bold move, Reginald seizes the bag—then throws the sandwich “into the crowd of drooling zombies.” As he suspected, the zombies love the peanut butter and jelly, much more than brains. With their bodies no longer in danger, the townspeople decide to welcome the zombies and keep them supplied with their new favorite food. Santoso milks the faux horror for all it is worth with his child-friendly illustrations in pen and ink and watercolor—imagine heads thrown back in terrified screams. Readers will chuckle as Reginald is grossed out in the cafeteria and cheer once all the creatures in Quirkville figure out a way to get along.
Run, don’t shamble, to get this original zombie tale. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1247-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A spellbinding tale that encourages readers to accept—and celebrate—what makes us different.
A bespectacled young witch longs for a cat but ends up with something unexpected.
Though Wilma is excited for her first feline pet, when she goes to the Beast Buddies Pet Shop there are no more cats; instead, she is offered a wombat. She begrudgingly takes the dumpy, snoozy chum but worries: “Everyone else brings cats to school. Cats have been friends to witches for centuries. What a cat-tastrophe!” Unfortunately, Wombat is afraid of heights, which makes mastering Broom-Flying Basics a challenge; can’t perch on the edge of a cauldron during Brewing Potions for Beginners; and doesn’t stay in the required spell boundary zone, causing a spell to go disastrously wrong. Wilma is so frustrated she wishes Wombat would disappear. And Wombat does just that—by burrowing deep into the ground. Sprinkled with wombat facts (Wilma’s remembering that wombat scat is cube-shaped helps her follow a trail of poop to find her pal), this is a winning testament to true friendship. Wilma sets aside her assumptions of what a witch’s companion should look like and realizes just how wonderful Wombat truly is. This is a not-so-spooky tale perfect for Halloween and beyond. Wilma has bluish-black hair and pale skin among a diverse class. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A spellbinding tale that encourages readers to accept—and celebrate—what makes us different. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 4, 2023
ISBN: 9780593569634
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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