How do you like your stories? Andrea Zuill let's readers know that she likes them a little spooky in today's book dedication. The book is perfect for this season because it involves fresh tomatoes!! It is also a great book for the Halloween season. The book is Bob the Vampire Snail by Andrea Zuill. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 and at the end of this post is a snail craft roundup to go with the book! (You'll have to add fangs if you want vampire snails!)
About the Book:
In this hilarious and heartwarming picture book, join Bob the vampire snail as he embraces his unique love of tomatoes, discovers new and peculiar sleeping talents, and forms an unexpected friendship."A work that young readers can sink their teeth into." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Did you know all snails are named Bob? It's a fact! And this is the story of one of those Bobs and the night his life changed forever. First, he heard a SCREAM... then a C-R-A-C-K... and then he felt a drip, drip, drip... and then, poof! He was a vampire snail.
Fangs? Check. No reflection? Check. Wings? You bet. And so Bob, now very different from all the other Bobs, sets out to live life as a vampire snail, discovering his knack for sleeping upside down and his taste for tomatoes. He's alone in his vampire-ness, until one day Bob meets someone very similar....
Endearing and laugh-out-loud funny, this is a story about individuality, friendship, and tomatoes, as only beloved creator Andrea Zuill can tell it.
From Me:
In this humorous story we discover that all snails are named Bob and that something can happen to a snail to become a vampire snail. This is what happened to Bob one day. Throughout the story there are asides of vampire folklore. When Bob realizes something is different he is hungry however he cannot find anything that tastes good to him. He tries almost everything until he discovers tomatoes. He also discovers that he likes to sleep upside down like a bat. After so many mistakes on food he realizes he is rather lonely. The other snails did not want to be his friend after he tried to eat one of them. It takes him awhile to figure out the changes in his life. He discovers his own individuality and finally makes a friend--a vampire worm.
This book is fun! Kids will be laughing at Bob. He has a hard time as a vampire snail. His trying to figure out what to eat, how to sleep and the sunlight bothering him gets very humorous. I also love the vampire folklore shared throughout the book--the fangs, the sleeping like a bat, being able to hypnotize others. Kids are going to love this. It has the vampire side perfect for Halloween, but it also is not super spooky. I also love that the vampire animals love tomatoes fresh from the vine. In fact they hypnotize the others to bring them tomatoes.
This book is perfect for a story time. It will be a fun one to read aloud. I can see it fun for talking about garden harvesting as well as about vampires and snails! Kids will love the humor throughout it and how crazy Bob acts. This is sure to become a fall favorite!
Snail Craft Roundup
To go with this fun book I thought it would be fun to make a snail craft. A few years ago I shared a snail craft roundup, so I looked for some new snail crafts to share and I found 30!! Be sure to check out the older roundup for even better ones. Remember if you want your snail to be a vampire you have to add the fangs and wings.
1) Cork Dotted Snail Craft from Emma Owl
2) Fine Motor Snail Craft from Teach Me Mommy
3) Stacking Paper Snail Craft from Kids' Craft Room
4) Cut and Paste Snail Craft from Messy Little Monster
5) Tissue Paper Snail Craft from Fireflies and Mudpies
6) Tissue Paper Snail Craft from No Time for Flash Cards
7) Easy Rolled Up Paper Snail from Picklebums
8) Quilled Paper Snail Craft from Crafty Morning
9) Rocking Paper Snail Craft from Red Ted Art
10) Heart Snail Craft from Happy Toddler Playtime
11) Snail Handprint Craft from Beth Ann Averill
12) Coffee Filter Snail Suncatchers from No Time for Flash Cards
1) Pink Snail in Honor of Breast Cancer from Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
2) Rainbow Paper Plate Snail Craft from My Bored Toddler
3) Adorable Heart Snail Craft from Hands on as We Grow
4) Matisse Inspired Paper Plate Snail Craft from No Times from Flash Cards
5) Threaded Snail Craft from Kids' Craft Room
6) Paper Plate Snail Craft from About a Mom
7) Rocking Snail Craft from Learning and Exploring Through Play
8) Cotton Ball Painted Paper Plate Snail Craft from Kids Activities Blog
9) Easy CD Snail Craft from Arty Crafty Kids
1) CD Snail Craft from I Heart Crafty Things
2) Chestnut Snail Craft from Easy Peasy and Fun
3) Craft Stick Snail Craft from Big Family Blessings
4) Recycled Egg Carton Snail Craft from Where the Imagination Grows
5) Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft from Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
6) Paper Snail Puppet Craft from Moms & Crafters
7) Cute Rock Snail Craft from Kids' Craft Room
8) Snail Crafts Using Clay from Red Ted Art
9) Sew a Stuffed Snail Tutorial from Cook Clean Craft
