From My Reading Chair…
Slap on the Factor 5000; it’s adventure time, Ghouls and Boils!
Vampire Vacation is a lovely depiction of childlike (or, in this case, vampire-like!) curiosity and that fizzing desire to try something new. It is also a keen observation of exhausted parents being gradually worn down by the effervescent enthusiasm of one very determined small person. I’m sure many of us will recognise ourselves in the Bloodgoods!
While the family prepares for its annual holiday to Transylvania, Fang begins his relentless campaign for somewhere different. An eternal life must become pretty boring when you spend it doing the same old, same old! With a LOT of heart, perseverance and a formidable talent for persuasion, Fang secures his dream trip: a holiday beside the Black Sea. A totally (un)natural request!
Laura Lavoie makes the family comedy feel affectionate rather than cynical, allowing Fang’s excitement and his parents’ weariness to sit together without either being treated as the joke. Micah Player’s bold, emotive illustrations supply much of the extra mischief. The social-media holiday snaps are brilliant, while Factor 5000, the Screech Boys and a smorgasbord of tiny visual gems wait for beady little eyeballs during the inevitable rereads.
Warm, sunny and gloriously relatable, this is a summertime vampire story with a very human heart.
Creep On Reading, Pumpkins!