Customer Reviews

The Jungle Vampire: An Awfully Beastly Business

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"A super fantastic book! My favorite part was when Ulf drank the moon juice and turned into a werewolf. I can not wait to read more about Ulf. It's the BEST book series I've read yet!"

My 12 year old read this in under 1 hour. He was so enthralled with the monsters.
Makes great gift for boys and girls who love monsters, but not a lot of blood and guts.

I gave this book to my now 12 year old son to read, since he loves the series of books about a child werewolf named Ulf. Ulf always saves the day in any situtation. He read this book just in one night when he went to bed early. He excitedly told me how he totally enjoyed this book. I can't wait for others to be written about Ulf and his friends.

My kids love books, and they love monsters, so books with monsters are big hits in our household. When I handed this to my 8 year old son, there was this loud squeal of delight - followed by another one when he realized that Ulf, the main character, is a werewolf boy.

Short Summary: Ulf is trying to become an official agent of the RSPCB (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Beasts) basically they run a wildlife sanctuary for mythical creatures and often go traveling to save some of the endangered "Beasts." After saving a mountain of Trolls in the last book, Ulf thinks that the evil Baron (who likes to hunt and kill the Beasts) has been done in. Then they get the call to go check out the supposedly extinct jungle vampire. So Ulf, Orson, and the rest of the crew head out into the jungles to find the vampire - but the Baron may not be out of commission yet.

The main characters include the werewolf, a Giant, a Fairy and a human - every creature encountered in these tales is a make-believe critter, from one eyed apes to giant fish who tempt birds with pear shaped appendages. The book reads quickly and is a lot of fun. There are a handful of pictures, all well drawn and cartoonish. The best age group would be 8-11 and it is geared for little boys. There are themes of responsiblity and caring for the world around you.

Having now read half of this series - I think that these books are great for little boys who like to read and are in that awkward area where finding them books at their level is difficult.

Oh - and this vampire is closer to a vampire bat than Dracula - it's a beast not a superpowered human so no worries there with nightmares or anything.

This book was very entertaining and kept my interest throughout. If you have a tween or early teen son or daughter, then I would recommend this book.

What kid doesn't wake up at night having at least one dream about werewolves and vampires?

This book isn't dark like a lot of these stories, and kids will love reading about the adventures of Ulf, the central character in the book.

This is the kind of book that encourages kids to read. My son has replaced our tradition of reading together every night with reading by himself. It's refreshing to see him doing something other than being glued to a screen! He went through this book in a couple evenings and has asked for more!

My son said this book was action packed. He said it was a good fantasy full of mystery, suspense and danger. He couldn't put this book down until he had finished the entire book. It took him a couple of hours to read. He loves the stories of Ulf.

The book opens with a page that states: "Tonight, look up at the moon. Look at it closely. Stare at it. Now ask yourself: Am I feeling brave?" It gives good insight to what your children can expect when reading the book. The series features Ulf, the boy werewolf, and his adventures with the RSPCB - a secret society out to protect the well-being of all "creatures." In "The Jungle Vampire" Ulf, his giant friend Orson, Tiana the fairy and Dr. Fielding embark on an adventure into the deep, dangerous, creature-filled forest of Manchay to discover if the Jungle Vampire really exists and, if it does, document it. The story would not be complete without their arch-nemesis, Baron Marackai and his goons - Blud and Bone. As your child reads through the pages, they will come across some of the most interesting fantastical characters. Some of which are described in minor detail from blood-dripping, fanged creatures to ghostly white specters with the ability to slowly freeze you to death. In the beginning of the story, Professor Farraway's ghost warns Ulf to beware the 6th Sword as the team prepares to leave. Ulf is left to wonder at this vague warning as the group travels to the wild beast preserve in Manchay. The mystery doesn't last long as the group encounters 5 silver sword bearing corpses along the way - each having died in a horrible way. But where is the 6th? You'll have to read to find out.
Warning: Some of the crisis Ulf and his friends find themselves in might be a little much for young minds. The Vampire Bat is definitely not a creature you'd want to meet alone at night. I would suggest a parent read along with their child. If your child has read the Goosebump series, this will be nothing to them. Although, a child with a very active imagination might find themselves sleeping with a light on at night. The black and white illustrations will not help calm a child either as they turn the pages.

The Awfully Beastly Business are a hoot. So says my young one, who enjoyed these fun romps and all the spooky-in-a-fun-way monsters they feature enough to loan them to friends.

He especially enjoyed The Jungle Vampire, which barrels forward at a breakneck pace. You've got werewolves, an evil baron chasing out heroes, and of course an eclectic array of young heroes diving in and out of danger. What's not to like?

Best given to children on the younger side of 8-12, but 12-year-olds will enjoy it, too. Plenty of humor and adventure. Great series.

While this book would be enjoyed by both genders it is a book that boys (who are often not as excited about reading) will love and be excited about reading. It's not overly long and is a quick read.

Great book for boys mostly, but also girls. Target audience is from about 8-12. I think kids will get hooked on this book. Great book for encouraging kids to read. They will want to read the whole series. Recommended.