September 17, 2018
In Long’s third book to feature the green-and-purple-hued Fright Club monsters, Vampire Vladimir and his friends are busy preparing a Thanksgiving feast. Then, the vampire’s extended family members make an unexpected appearance. Though “it was a happy reunion,” they bring some chaos to the gathering. Aunt Bessy makes her own mashed potatoes with eyeballs and earwax (not garlic); commandeering the turkey, Uncle Gus “cooked it to death”; and just when they are about to sit down to eat, slobbery dog Spike devours everything. Vladimir hits his breaking point: “You ruined Thanksgiving!” But family is family, and the motley group of monsters work together to improvise a new meal. Holidays don’t always go as planned, Long asserts, and that’s okay. Ages 3–6.
July 1, 2018
PreS-Gr 2-Vlad the Vampire's family can not forego the family drama and spectacle of creating the perfect Thanksgiving, in this silly take on holiday dinner. Vlad and his friends from Fright Club-Witch, Ghost, Mummy, and Frankenstein-have been busy all night preparing the perfect Thanksgiving for Vlad's family. However, when the family arrive they have a different ideas about meal preparation that include eyeballs, earwax, maggot meatballs, and other unappetizing treats. When the lights go out, Spike, the family's monstrous dog, devours everything, "Thanksgiving was gone!" This is the last straw for Vlad and he loses his cool, proclaiming the Vampire Family, "ruined Thanksgiving." With Halloween still fresh in the minds of children, Long's use of monsters to portray a family Thanksgiving is ingenious. Similar to Valensteins and Fright Club, Long utilized a dark palette to create an ironic mood; however the monstrous characters are portrayed in a nonthreatening way for young readers. VERDICT This engaging picture book celebrates the gathering of family and friends; helping young readers to understand and appreciate the value of giving thanks.-Jewelee Painter, Springfield Elementary School, Rilleyville, VA
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2018
Long and his bevy of monsters tackle yet another holiday in this look at the family angst that is a natural part of Thanksgiving. All is going swimmingly for the friends--cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet-potato casserole, turkey; each made by a different monster--until Vladimir's extended vampire family unexpectedly drops in. Uncle Gus, Aunt Bessy, and Joey and Schmoey are welcomed with arms open wide to the friends' feast, but then the meddling begins. Aunt Bessy shrinks from the garlic in the mashed potatoes, Uncle Gus has his own way of cooking the turkey, and the Siamese twins "help" Fran with the pumpkin pie, adding maggot meatballs. The pic of everyone gathered around the table says it all: Vladimir's family looks pleased; his friends look uncertain and a bit dismayed. As in many households, the inevitable explosion of tempers is triggered, but this one is quickly resolved in a flurry of re-dos and cooperation before a satisfying (and slightly more palatable) Friday feast. Long's graphite pencil and digitally colored illustrations are packed with gross-out details that will have kids in stitches, and the body language and facial expressions are clearly 100 percent human even if the characters aren't. Gus' electrifying turkey-cooking machine, which recalls the electric chair, may be a bit over-the-top even for this series, though. A (mostly) typical Thanksgiving: family, lumpy mashed potatoes, arguments, and all. (Picture book. 3-7)
COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
September 15, 2018
Grades K-2 On the fourth Thursday in November, the monsters gather together to prepare their annual Thanksgiving feast. Everyone has a job, and vampire Vladimir is thrilled to prepare the turkey. Then a honk heralds the arrival of his family?surprise! But Vladimir is a good sport ("Vladimir loved seeing his family, even when they dropped in unexpectedly"), and he welcomes them in. Only, as it turns out, they aren't the best houseguests. Mumford the mummy is using garlic in the mashed potatoes? That won't do?Aunt Bessy substitutes eyeballs and earwax. Uncle Gus is happy to help Vladimir cook the turkey. . . by electrocuting it. And Spike the dog? Well, he eats everything in sight. Once his family has rendered everything inedible (or, in Spike's case, gone), Vladimir has had enough. But Thanksgiving is for family, and there just might be a solution. Geisel Award-winning Long uses a purple palette that gives everything a nighttime feel, although this cast of Halloween characters is more adorable than scary. This family-oriented tale will have life through several holidays.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2019
The Fright Club monsters are cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. But what to do when vampire Vladimir's family shows up unexpectedly? Invite them in! Except...Aunt Bessy complains about garlic mashed potatoes, Uncle Gus electrocutes the turkey, etc. Digitally colored graphite-pencil illustrations amp up the humor and cast the nocturnal spooks' preparations in a suitably dim light. The simmering tension eventually boils over, before a "do-over" meal the next day.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
November 1, 2018
The Fright Club (rev. 9/15) monsters are cooking up a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, from sweet potato casserole to turkey. But what to do when vampire Vladimir's family shows up unexpectedly? Invite them in?the more the merrier! Except?Aunt Bessy complains about garlic mashed potatoes (because vampire), Uncle Gus electrocutes the turkey to a crisp, and so on. Long's digitally colored graphite-pencil illustrations amp up the humor and cast the nocturnal spooks' preparations in a suitably dim light. The simmering tension eventually boils over (monsters?they're just like us!), clearing the way for a do-over meal the next day?complete with a turkey constructed with corn dogs. Serve this if your family gathering gets too heated up. kitty Flynn
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)