Zombie in Love (edition 2011)

Mortimer is a lonely, zombie boy looking for a date to The Cupid's Ball. From the ghoulish environs of his home, he tries to find that special someone; but all the human girls he approaches are nonplussed. Then Mortimer gets an idea...

Zombie in Love is a cute, humorous story about how there is someone for everyone. The reading level is very easy, skewing more towards the four-year-old's reading ability than the eight-year-old's; but the artwork and universal appeal (who hasn't felt like Mortimer in his loneliness at one point in their lives?) makes this a great novelty book for teens and adults as well.

The words in and of themselves create the framework for the art of Scott Campbell. His watercolors wash over the pages in gentle tones, in contrast to the black ink renderings one might expect in a zombie tale. The muted tones make this easy on the eyes (and less-scary for small children.) There is nothing graphically explicit, which isn't to say the illustrations aren't detailed. It's the details in each of the paintings that bring out the humor in the story, contrasting with the text by offsetting the sentences as understatements. Neutral background washes and a balance of cool and warm figures in the foreground are compositionally well balanced and offset each other to create darkish but palatable pictures.

What parents might have to explain: Zombies; and the fact that worms can't do the things that are depicted in the book :-D

Redacted from the original blog review at dog eared copy, Zombie in Love; 05/01/2012 ( )

Mortimer is willing to give an arm and a leg for true love, but his romantic destiny always seems just out of reach. That is until Mabel shows up at the end of Cupid's Ball, just when Mortimer had given up all hope. Suitable for Halloween or Valentine's Day. ( )

So qt ( )

Zombies are everywhere! Children will enjoy this book. Perfect for Halloween or Valentine's ( )

It was only a matter of time before the Zombies invaded the picture book section in the library! Introducing Mortimer the Zombie and his quest for love.

Summary:
Mortimer is undead and unhappy. He has tried everything from taking dance lessons, passing out chocolates with worms, real hearts, and even walking his dead dog at the park to win a date for the Cupids ball. Nothing has worked, and he even lost a few parts along the way. Finally, he takes out a clever ad in the newspaper (Cue the undead version of "Escape" by Rupert Holmes) as a last ditch effort to get a date. Will love prevail? Will he finally meet his perfect brainless match??

Review:
Zombie in Love is a funny and clever book about finding love in all the wrong places. Mortimer is creepy but not too creepy. The muted watercolor illustrations keep the characters from being overly gross or graphic for younger children. Plus, who can resist all the smiling little worms in hats?! I love all the word play within the story and think that this will be a fun read aloud for a classroom and library. It works well for a Halloween or Valentine theme and something that all ages can appreciate.

Ages:
5 and up to be safe. Zombies might be a bit too scary for the preschool crowd. ( )