If you read my blog, it’s not hard to see that we love books. I especially love children’s books. We read a lot in our home and bedtime stories are a favorite time. Recently I was sent a spectacular set of three Halloween themed books from Candlewick Press. Vampire Baby, Ghost In The House and Filbert, The Good Little Fiend.
Vampire Baby by Kelly Bennett is the story of a little boy who thinks his baby sister just might be a vampire. He comes to this conclusion because unlike most babies who sprout their first teeth on the bottom, his little sister sports two sharp canines as her first pearly whites. The other thing he notices that might mean baby sister is a vampire, is that she’s up at night when everyone else is sleeping and isn’t that what vampires do? She even has a nasty little habit of chomping down with those canines on her brother drawing blood. It gets so that he starts wearing garlic around his neck and one day while shopping with mom he decides to take his vampire sister and give her away. He puts a sign on her and wheels her around the store where he finds a “vampire family” in the Halloween costume aisle. He is ready to hand her over and she bites the other little boy who has a big reaction and it finally brings about true big brother protection. He then understands that she is his vampire sister and like it or not he loves her and she knows she’s right where she belongs.
Ghost In The House by Ammi-Joan Paquette is a cute book of the creatures that go bump in the night. It adds one more creature with each page turn and then a surprise ending.
Filbert, The Good Little Fiend by Hiawyn Oram is another great book that shows a family learning to accept a son that is not such a scary fiend but loving him anyway.
It happens overnight: “little sister Tootie goes from cuddly, ga-ga-goo-goo, I-want-my-ba-ba baby to…vampire baby.” Now she’s sinking her pointy fangs into everything — furniture, toys, and especially her big brother (“Youch, Tootie! No bite!”). Mom insists that it’s just a phase, but Tootie’s brother knows better. Just look at her hairline! Or the fact that all her favorite foods are blood red! With perfect comic timing, Kelly Bennett and Paul Meisel give a fresh slant to the new-baby story, proving that even monstrous little arrivals have a funny way of staking their siblings’ affections.
When a little ghost goes slip-sliding down the hallway, he suddenly hears…a groan! Turns out it’s only a friendly mummy, who shuffles along with the ghost, until they encounter…a monster! As the cautious explorers continue, they find a surprise at every turn — and add another adorably ghoulish friend to the count. But you’ll never guess who is the scariest creature in the house!
Daddy and Mommy Fiend want their little Filbert to be gruesome and ghastly, but he won’t trample or terrify, roar or holler. He’d much rather help an old lady with her bags or go bird-watching. What are they to do with him? When Filbert starts school, he quickly learns that good behavior isn’t tolerated in class, and he is banished outside until he can act like a proper little fiend. Suddenly a little angel appears, flying fast and furious until…bump! Could this naughty Angel-School dropout be just the friend Filbert needs? Could they find a way together to make everyone accept them as they are?
