Vunce Upon a Time [Hardcover]

J.otto Seibold (Author), Siobhan Vivian (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008 | Grade Level: P and up

Dagmar is not like other vampires. He's shy, he's afraid of humans, and . . . he's a vegetarian! But even more than he likes vegetables, Dagmar loves candy. And when he hears about all the treats he can get on Halloween, he knows he has to be brave and venture out into the human world. A wonderful new book from the author and illustrator of Olive, the Other Reindeer.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Vegetarian vampire Dagmar, who prefers cherry juice to blood, tend[s] to his moonlit vegetable patch rather than prowl. Dagmar also adores candy, and when his crops grow slowly, he craves sugary snacks, prompting a skeleton in a pirate hat to recommend a certain human holiday involving scary costumes and free treats. Seibold (the Mr. Lunch books) and Vivian (A Little Friendly Advice) revisit time-tested Halloween formulas, freshening them with Seibold's quirky all-digital art, complementary palette and whimsically distorted shapes. Once the Halloween theme kicks in, however, they lose sight of Dagmar's vegetarianism and focus on sweets; likewise, except for a remark from Dagmar's mother, the title's stylized accent is absent from the wordy prose. Yet Dagmar himself is sympathetic, and he has a charming habit of turning into a bat when startled. Like Seibold's heroine in Olive, the Other Reindeer, he makes a promising holiday icon. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)
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From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3—Dagmar is a vegetarian vampire who lives in a creepy old castle with his parents and other ghoulish creatures. He has a gentle soul and a serious sweet tooth; he does not like blood. A castle mate tells him about a human holiday where candy is handed out for free and Dagmar embarks upon making a costume to transform himself into a scary being. His choices are hilarious—a puppy, a kitty, or a butterfly—terrifying if you're a vampire. Eventually he goes out as himself and meets a "ghost" who teaches him how to trick-or-treat. Even though the little girl frightens Dagmar, they make a connection that could change his view of humans forever. The computer illustrations are characteristic of Seibold's style—rounded figures with big eyes and lots of detail throughout the panels. The palette is bold, and the images are filled with kid-pleasing details. A fresh spin on Halloween.—Linda M. Kenton, Pickleweed Public Library, San Rafael, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811862712
• ISBN-13: 978-0811862714
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #732,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Otto fans will love this book all year round, November 5, 2008

By 

N.R.M. "vespa girl" (san diego, ca usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vunce Upon a Time (Hardcover)

J.Otto Siebold fans will love this new story of a young vampire learning about Halloween. His fun and fanciful colorful art is in typical J.Otto form and the story by Vivian keeps in his moral telling fashion. Dagmar the vegetarian vampire makes a costume of garlic to go trick-or-treating only for it to be eaten by zombie moths. He then finds that he doesn't need a costume after all and befriends a little ghost. When he sees she is a human in disguise, he realizes humans aren't so terrible after all. Fantastic story, not just for October. And it's not too scary for my two-year-old. I'd also recommend Room on the Broom, by Donaldson.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dagmar vants some candy!, October 31, 2008

By 

golgotha.gov (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vunce Upon a Time (Hardcover)

VUNCE UPON A TIME
by J. Otto Siebold
illustrated by Siobhan Vivian

This is a very cute kid's book about a vampire who loves vegetables and candy. He keeps to himself until he learns that one day every year there is a holiday where kids can get candy - for free! He leaves for a halloween adventure amongst the strange creatures known as "humans"... and finishes his tale with something even more special than candy.

This is one of the better kid's books to come out this year, both in terms of artwork and the pacing of the story. The artwork is unlike a lot of other kid's books in that it has much bolder contrasting colors as opposed to the usual pastel or primary color schemes. They did a great job of using dark colors to make a fun and mysterious world. There is a very cute section where Dagmar (the vampire) is trying on several costumes to wear for halloween. Another great scene in the book shows Dagmar (in bat form) flying above a city of trick or treaters. Kids will love counting all the different kids dressed up as monsters - and a couple of real monsters too!

The story also has a subtext about being afraid of people who seem different to you. It reminded me a little of that old episode of the Twilight Zone where doctors are trying to operate on a woman's face, which you never see. At the end of the episode her bandages are removed to reveal a beautiful woman - but the doctors gasp in horror. After this we see the doctors' faces for the first time, showing that they are twisted and weird and they have been trying to make this woman's face resemble theirs. Dagmar doesn't get that deep, but a lighthearted version of this message is told in only a few pages. Spend some time with Dagmar - you'll be glad that you did!

4.0 out of 5 stars cute, March 9, 2011

By 

Christy Long "Mommy Marchand" (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vunce Upon a Time (Hardcover)

This book is cute. It's all about Halloween and a little vegetarian vampire who doesn't eat people (afraid of people)who craves candy because he's hungry and his veggies aren't growing fast enough. He learns that he needs to dress up in a costume to go get candy on Halloween night. In the end, he meets and makes friends with a little girl (overcame his fear when she turned out to be quite nice). If your kids are old enough to understand Halloween and trick or treating, then it's a cute story.