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Friday, December 7, 2012

Michael Teitlebaum: "The Very Hungry Zombie: A Parody"

Author:  Michael Teitlebaum 
Illustrator:  Jon Apple  
Title:  "The Very Hungry Zombie: A Parody" 
Ratings:  V4; S0; H3  
Publisher:  Skyhorse  (10/2012)

     Teitlebaum and Apple have created a dead-on parody of Eric Carle's classic caterpillar tale in this brightly colored board book that's meant for older kids (probably pre-teens and teens) and adults. The book would make a nice stocking-stuffer for any die-hard (pardon the pun) zombie fan.

    The story begins as the zombie crawls out of his grave—and he is desperately hungry! Like Carle's caterpillar, the zombie has a different chewy snack every day of the week, with varying gustatory reactions. After seven days, the zombie is very full so he goes to sleep, but instead of a cocoon he sleeps in a grave, and instead of turning into a butterfly he arises as a super-zombie, accompanied by all of his tasty friends from the previous week.

     Although kids might not catch on to every humorous reference, adults will enjoy such lines as "On Friday he chomped on five rock stars. But he got a terrible case of the munchies."    

TEITELBAUM'S BOOK

CARLE'S BOOK

The illustrations are bright and cheerful and not at all gory. This book mimics the exact construction of Carle's book, right down to the hole-pocked overlapping pages and the prominent use of bright, primary colors.

  
  
     The book comes with a tongue-in-cheek "Zombie Warning" from the publisher: "The Publisher disclaims any responsibility for illness, sickness, death, permanent incapacitation, or reanimation caused from eating human flesh."

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