Vampirina

In Vampirina's second story, the doe-eyed vampire ballerina demonstrates how to host a successful sleepover. Initially, Pham shows Vampirina trying to mask her clan's Addams family tendencies, placing a pink rug over a trapdoor and dressing up a pet bat like a parrot. Once the sleepover starts, she learns she's not the only one who appreciates bat wings and the color black. Throughout, Pace's droll advice contrasts delightfully with Pham's spooky-comical watercolors ("For those not eager to sink their teeth into something new, pizza will do," she writes; the other menu option involves tentacles), and it should prove heartening for readers who feel that their families are a bit different. Ages 3 5. PW"
K-Gr 2 Vampirina, introduced in Vampirina Ballerina (Hyperion, 2012), decides to invite her friends from ballet class to a sleepover. This entertaining tale of an exciting night in a vampire's home instructs readers on how to be a considerate hostess. In order to help her guests feel comfortable, Vampirina decorates her somber home with pink to downplay all the black, deep purple, and gray; the black cat wears a pink bow, and the suit of armor sports a tutu. Following a dinner of their choice pizza or octopus stew the girls explore Vampirina's room, play makeovers, and go on an exhilarating scavenger hunt. A bout of homesickness is alleviated by the hostess's thoughtfulness and the party is a success. The text uses words and phrases dear to a vampire's and ballerina's heart: "they're a scream," "sink their teeth into," "dying to see," "on pointe," and "ensemble." The watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations invite perusal as they are filled with humorous details, from Vampirina's bemused, but loving parents to the expressions on the guests' faces as they are introduced to another kind of family and living situation. Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI SLJ"
This follow-up to Vampirina Ballerina (rev. 9/12) finds the young vampire in another sticky social situation: planning "the best sleepover ever" for her newfound (human) ballet class buddies. The Munsters-worthy household makes many well-meaning attempts to put Vampirina's guests at ease for the festivities (banishing the resident monster to the basement, festooning the cobwebby castle with Christmas lights and heart-shaped throw pillows). Despite its efforts, the family's true nature eventually comes out, resulting in a delightful collision of worlds. And while Vampirina's friends may be taken aback at first, ultimately they like her just the way she is. The fete hits all the classic sleepover favorites-scary movies, makeovers, a scavenger hunt, a pillow fight, and, of course, a dance party-with a distinct vampire flair. This book's humor is a bit more subtle than the first's, coming primarily in the counterpoint between Pace's wryly straight-laced text (in which there's nary a mention of vampires, but plenty of intentionally dreadful puns) and Pham's illustrations full of cheerful chaos. A mash-up of the uber-girly and the mildly gothy naturally calls for lots of pink and soft black, but new characters and a more extensive view of Vampirina's abode allow for an expanded palette. Any gathering at Vampirina's is sure to be a scream. katie bircher Horn Book"