The Big Book of Vampires. Denise Despeyroux. Illustrated by Fernando Falcone. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2012. 112 pp., hardcover, $19.99. ISBN 978-1-77049-371-1. Subject Headings: Vampires-Literary Collections. Grades 4 and up / Ages 9 and up. Review by Tanya Boudreau. **** /4

excerpt:

While Aubrey watched his sister, someone grasped his arm and whispered, "Remember your oath!" He turned and almost fainted at the sight of Lord Ruthven standing before him. Paralyzed, Aubrey saw Ruthven approach his sister. Both conversed happily until the end of the party. Aubrey tried to talk to his sister after the party, but he could only mutter senseless phrases, while a voice in his head constantly warned: "Remember your oath."

Aubrey was ill for months and nearly went mad. His sister was engaged to be married and brought him a portrait of her fiancé Aubrey thought he would die when he saw the face of the dreaded Ruthven, for now there was no doubt he was a vampire. (From "The Vampire" by John William Polidori [England, 1795-1821].)

Pair breathtaking story telling with brilliant visuals and you have The Big Book of Vampires. Impressive in scope, Despeyroux’s adaptations include nine vampire stories and four legends from around the world. After reading about a female vampire, learn about the vampires who were Vikings or the fox-tailed vampires from China. Although the stories are short in length (six to eight pages), they contain dramatic characters (i.e. Van Helsing and Countess Mircalla) that evoke feelings of a time long past. The grand illustrations that appear on every page reinforce the atmosphere of the story and the thoughts of the character. Special features include a die-cut bat on the cover, background information about the stories and legends and facts about the original authors (i.e. profession, date of birth and death). The use of white space, subheadings and different type size make the text accessible to reluctant readers. Expect a few creepy faces, open caskets and punctured necks, but surround them by visions of beautiful architecture and enchanting heroines.

Highly Recommended.

Tanya Boudreau is a librarian at the Cold Lake Public Library in Cold Lake, AB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE -November 9, 2012.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME