From My Reading Chair…
What is black and white and about to be read all over? VAMPENGUIN!
A genuinely smart, funny, creative and original children’s vampire picture book!
Vampenguin is a super-stylish, zoo-based switch-a-roo comedy caper, made for families of all shapes and species. Lucy Ruth Cummins handles the words, pictures and timing herself, giving the silliness a wonderfully confident visual rhythm.
Straight off the (vampire) bat, the strong monochrome palette with its soft hints of pastel is a salve for the eyeballs. Yes please! The loose, hand-drawn detailing in the animals’ fur, the vampires’ hair and the characters’ clothing makes everything feel wonderfully tactile and inviting.
The larger spreads and the way the words and pictures play together create little pockets of space and time for curious eyeballs to clock the comedy, uncover hidden details and spot the joke creeping gradually into view. Nothing feels crowded or hurried. The final reveal arrives only after younger readers have been given the delicious opportunity to spot what is happening before their grown-up does.
It is properly funny, properly stylish and full of the visual playfulness that makes picture books such a joy to read together: all gathered between two black-and-white covers.
An instant classic in this Witch’s eyes!
Creep On Reading, Pumpkins!