cover image Little Vampire's Diary

Little Vampire's Diary

Chronicle Books, Sonia Holleyman. Chronicle Books, $12.95 (1pp) ISBN 978-0-8118-1010-4

Jammed with such enticements as ""vampire vision glasses"" (to read hidden messages) a cardboard bat mobile, a pair of ""snake earrings"" and a miniature board game with a spinner as well as pop-ups within pop-ups, this six-by-eight-inch picture book represents an impressive design and production feat. The text, beginning with a diary entry dated September 35th, records young Plaxie the vampire's flirtation with Jack, the new boy in third grade, and her run-ins with her nemesis, Trudy. In addition to divulging such secrets as Plaxie's costume for Jack's Halloween party, her diary includes items and images that are bound to make kids smile and adults squirm. Among these are Bandaids that lift to reveal blood stains, and drawings of Plaxie's collection of scabs, her cat's vomit and the remnants from a sneeze. Though some of the entries are witty, there is a lot of gratuitous grossness-which many kids love. The book's eye-catching, padded paper-over-board binding includes a flap with Velcro to hold the covers together; pockets inside the covers store the various treasures. Ages 5-12. (Aug.)