PICTURE BOOK FICTION: Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima, I Love my Fur by Kelly Leigh Miller, & Vampenguin by Lucy Ruth Cummins
REVIEW
An old broken-down house thinks she might be haunted. She doesn't want to be haunted, she wants to be a home for some people. She tries to muffle her creaks and squeaks and groans and is surprisingly successful until a storm strikes. The wind causes branches to scratch against the house's windows and the lights to flicker and a howl to burst out into the night. The house finally realizes that she enjoys the noise, but she still wants to be a home, just a haunted one. Sim's darling illustrations give this falling down house a surprising amount of personality. The cat who appears throughout the book adds a nice touch to the story, especially when the black cat freaks out a bit at all the noises. Sim has created a lovely tale that emphasizes themes of appreciating one's differences and finding one's own way. A fun read for Halloween or anytime really.
REVIEW
Bigfoot loves his fur. It's softness and shine. In fact, he loves it so much he becomes rather obsessed with it. He refuses to get it cut and it grows and grows until it starts getting in the way. His friends become uncomfortable around him and his constant bragging. And when Bigfoot's fur takes over the world almost, he has to make a choice. His friends or his fur. The perils of self-obsession and bragging shine through very clearly in this amusing book about the need for give-and-take in any friendship. The illustrations are bright and colorful and appealing. The exaggerated nature of the story prevents the message about pride from becoming didactic and heavy-handed. Pair with Miller's I Love My Fangs for a wild and wooly story time.
REVIEW
The Dracula family heads to the zoo where they rush to visit the penguins first thing. Unknown to the rest of the family, the toddler trades places with a penguin. While the family visits the other animal exhibits, the toddler enjoys his time with the penguins, although the penguins don't appreciate his taking all their fish. The animals they visit notice the problem, but the Dracula family does not. They even get their picture taken before leaving the zoo. The penguin and the child switch back without the boy's family having any idea what took place although what will happen when they see the photograph is anybody's guess. This rather amusing tales highlighted mostly in black and white share a rather amusing adventure that is bound to elicit giggles from young listeners.
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