I'm a Zcary Vampire

by José Carlos Andrés, Gómez (Illustrator)

Overview

"A delightful picture book for fans of monster stories."—School Library Journal

This little vampire is very scary! Or rather… ZCARY! To pass his Vampire Test, he must give someone the zcare of their life. If he fails, he’ll be sent to… Banana Peeler School! Can he pull off the biggest scare ever or will he fail the test?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788417673857
Publisher:	NubeOcho
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Series:	Monsters
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	11.40(w) x 9.75(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

José Carlos Andrés is a famous author in Spain. He is a professional clown and children's theater actor.

GÓMEZ studied Fine Arts in Salamanca, Spain. A new talent, she has worked for several publishing houses in Europe, such as SM in Spain, Le Petit Bulles Edition in France, and Scholastics and Sterling in the USA. She has published with NubeOcho Bow-Wow-Meow and the collection Hedgehog and Rabbit.

Editorial Reviews

08/17/2020

In a yellow dress and a loafer-and-socks combo, a pale, redheaded girl with pigtails walks down the purple cobblestone streets of Transylvania. Suddenly accosted by a “BIG SHADOWY SHADOW!” she meets “a very tiny little vampire” with a very big problem: he’s going to fail his vampire test and, somewhat inexplicably, be sent to “banana peeler zchool” if he doesn’t “give zomeone zee zcare of zeir livez.” Taking charge, the girl decides to lend him a hand. Childlike digital illustrations evoke scribbly, chalk-textured art in fanciful colors: the little vampire has mint-hued hair and pink-outlined eyes. Those hoping the book will address how the little vampire is laughed at will be disappointed, but readers with a penchant for quirky underdog tales may enjoy. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Childlike digital illustrations evoke scribbly, chalk-textured art in fanciful colors: the little vampire has mint-hued hair and pink-outlined eyes. Those hoping the book will address how the little vampire is laughed at will be disappointed, but readers with a penchant for quirky underdog tales may enjoy.— Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2020-07-14
Even a vampire’s skills need propping up.

In Transylvania, a diminutive young vampire is distressed when his puny shadow fails to frighten a little girl. He tells her that if he can’t scare anyone, he won’t pass his upcoming “tezt.” (This vamp substitutes “z” for “s” and “th.”) His fate if that happens? He’ll go to “banana peeler zchool.” Pitying him, the girl offers to help. The next evening, she encounters a gigantic shadow cast by the vampire, greatly enlarged from what it would be naturally thanks to interesting props. The girl faints in mock terror. The vampire’s cronies congratulate him on his success, and he receives a medal for “biggest scare.” The wee ghoul thanks his friend for her assistance and boost to his self-confidence. In a concluding twist, the girl thanks him for helping her overcome her fear of vampires! This odd, unfunny Portuguese import has glaring problems: The vampire explained he could fail his exam next day but didn’t manage his “scare” until the next evening. What happened at the exam? More problematic are the Z’s in the vamp’s speech: Instead of being comical, they’re offensive gibes at “foreign” accents. Additionally, the “banana peelers” are depicted insultingly as unintelligent, with dangling tongues and crossed eyes, as if their task is too difficult. Loose, cartoonish illustrations are colorful; numerous pages feature purplish backgrounds. Humans present White. A Spanish version publishes simultaneously.

This isn’t a Halloween treat to savor; skip it. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews