Vampire Boy's Good Night [Hardcover]

Lisa Brown (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2010 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

When the sun goes down and everything is wonderfully cold and dark, a vampire boy and a little witch go searching for children in the night.

But this is no ordinary night. It is Halloween, and what they find may surprise them. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-K–Bela, Boy Vampire, and his witch friend Morgan fly across town on Morgan's broom, looking for children with rosy cheeks and tiny white teeth. The friends are attracted to a well-lit house and discover a Halloween party with warty witches, ghosts, goblins, pirates, and vampires. Although Bela and Morgan seem to fit right in, they experience some puzzling moments, as when a scary vampire wins the costume contest, and the vampire isn't Bela. At evening's end, the masks come off and rosy-cheeked children are revealed. Morgan flies Bela home, where he falls asleep in his coffin bed, hugging his stuffed bat. The brief text and gentle illustrations work together in telling this Halloween story. The double-page illustrations are simple and uncluttered, but include clever details. Adults in particular will appreciate the books scattered on Morgan's floor. Titles include The Crucible and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. This friendly story will delight, but not frighten young readers. It's a good addition to holiday collections.–Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OHα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“The lyrical, understated prose and clever outsider’s perspective on the holiday might make this a new seasonal favorite” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (July 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061140112
• ISBN-13: 978-0061140112
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 11.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

LISA BROWN is the bestselling author and/or illustrator of a growing number of books, including "How to Be," "The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming," and "Baby Mix Me a Drink." She draws the Three Panel Book Review cartoon for the book section of the San Francisco Chronicle. Lisa lives in San Francisco with her son and her husband, who is rumored to be Lemony Snicket.

Lisa Brown's latest book is "Picture the Dead," by Adele Griffin, an illustrated Civil War era ghost story for young adults. Her next picture book for children is "Vampire Boy's Good Night," which will be published in time for Halloween, 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Ghoulishly delightful Halloween read!, October 12, 2011

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Vampire Boy's Good Night (Hardcover)

My first grader loves Halloween (as does mom) and with it being October and all, we've been reading Halloween-themed books these past couple of weeks. We have our favorites, but it is nice to come across some unfamiliar titles that are a deliciously spooky treat! Vampire Boy's Goodnight falls into the latter category - it is a charming tale of a real boy vampire, Bela (erm, tribute to Bela Lugosi perhaps? He is an iconic figure in horror movies Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition Universal Legacy Series), his rendition of Dracula having given me nightmares as a young girl).

Bela rises from his coffin one evening and goes off for a 'playdate' with his best friend, Morgan the witch. They clamber onto a broomstick and are off into the dark night, on a quest to find 'real' children as Morgan is not convinced of their existence. The pair land near a home which appears to be hosting some sort of party. Initially Bela and Morgan think the strangely-attired children are just like them, real 'monsters', but soon enough they come to realize that it is all in the spirit of Halloween!

There's a cute little twist at the end and there's bits of humor throughout. The vibrant illustrations credibly evoke the spooky and fun Halloween atmosphere and make this the perfect read on a cozy October evening.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun illustrations and cute read!, October 14, 2010

By 

Candace Robinson "Candace's Book Blog" (Vancouver, Wa USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vampire Boy's Good Night (Hardcover)

I was first a little concerned about whether this would be a little scary for my kids. But that was just because I didn't really know where the story would go. It turned out to be a super cute book about a vampire boy and his friend, the witch, who want to see human children. They end up at a Halloween costume party and aren't sure where the human children are. At the end the children take off their costumes and they see that they are human children and they fly off home for the night as the children look on.
The illustrations are great! My daughter (5) looked through the book over and over because she loved seeing what each child was dressed up as. She's really into Halloween and so I was so happy to get a Halloween book to review.
It's a quick read, and is fun to read which is a huge bonus to me. There's not really any big words and it's easy for even the youngest children to understand.
This is one I'll bring out year after year around Halloween for us to enjoy.
I give it 5/5 for story and for illustrations. I highly recommend!

4.0 out of 5 stars Good old fashioned Halloween fun, October 10, 2010

By 

Jennifer Donovan "5minutesforbooks" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vampire Boy's Good Night (Hardcover)

This book is a lot of fun. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and so evocative of all that Halloween should be: whimsical scariness, costumes, and bare trees stretching out into the darkness.

Bela is a real little vampire and Morgan is a real little witch. They head out (on Morgan's broom of course!) on Halloween night to find some children to watch. Bela is trying to convince Morgan that children are real and not made up. It's a cute story that could definitely serve to get them more excited about Halloween.

One thing I noticed about this book is that it's a great easy reader. Some picture books that are made for reading aloud have longer more complex sentences and vocabulary. This one has short sentences and easier words, which means a younger reader could enjoy it quite easily on his own.