Frankie D, Vegan Vampire | CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Volume XXX / Issue 39 - June 14 / 2024

Regular Expressions Cookbook

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Frankie D, Vegan Vampire

Author:

Sally Dutra & Brian Dutra

Illustrated by:

Tiffani Brown

Series:

Frankie D

Vegan Vampire #1

Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2024

192 pp., hardcover, $16.99

ISBN:

9781525304606

Grades:

Grades 2-4

Ages:

Ages 7-9

Review by:

Karen Rankin

Excerpt:

Second days are always easier than first days. It's a law. The second time you do something, you know what to expect because you've done it before. So, I am confident the second day will be even better than the first.

"Nice morning, isn't it, Ms. Peggy?" I say when I board the bus.

Peggy smiles. Her lipstick is a little too high above her lips. "Yes, it is, Frankie," she says.

I am happy to see Zeke. I sit down next to him. Then I remove two beets from my knapsack and offer one to Zeke.

"No thanks," says Zeke. "Not first thing in the morning."

"Try not ever," comes a raspy voice from behind.

I recognize the voice immediately as Eddie who might be a troll.

When I turn around to face him, he says, "Bite me."

I remember the law of second times and feel better prepared to deal with Eddie. I pause and smile. "No thanks. Not today."

Normally, I would not turn down an offer to bite a troll, but I am on a new path.

Later that morning I find Zeke alone by the water fountain.

"My mama and papa would like to have your family for dinner."

"I don't think my family would taste that good."

"We are vegan, so there is no need to worry."

Zeke laughs.

This is a good sign, so I continue. "It will be nice to meet your sisters. We will have fun."

"My sisters aren't that much fun. But sure, okay. I'll ask my mom."

I hear Papa's strong, firm voice in my head. Close the deal, Frankie.

"We will have you for dinner on Saturday."

Zeke shrugs. It is sometimes hard to tell if Zeke is excited or not.

I will be excited for both of us.

Having decided that "living forever is over-rated", Frankie's Vampire parents switched to a vegetarian diet (so they would no longer crave blood) and moved their immediate family, consisting of Frankie, his two three-year-old brothers, and his Aunt Ethel - a parrot - from Transylvania to America. Frankie's fangs are filed down a little so that he'll fit into his new school. Although nervous about his first day in grade four, Frankie makes a 'best' friend, Zeke. Within a couple more days, Frankie impresses the school principal with his speed, commits to playing the violin in the class concert, and is invited to a birthday party. When a surly student, Eddie, asks Frankie if he's a vampire, Frankie identifies Eddie as a potential Troll. After the birthday party, to which (potential 'troll') Eddie is not invited, Frankie discovers that Eddie lives with an aunt who doesn't seem to care about him. Frankie offers Eddie his Aunt Ethel's help with learning to read and Eddie takes him up on it. Everything seems to be working out well for Frankie until the end of the novel when he realizes there is a good chance that Eddie had seen him transform into a bat to fly home one evening.

Frankie D, Vegan Vampire is a fast-paced read focused mainly on plot versus character development. As per the “Excerpt”, when Zeke's mother and sisters come for dinner, they are awed by the 'magic' and acrobatics performed by Frankie's little brothers. These acrobatic abilities are virtually all readers learn about the boys. Mom, Dad, and Zeke are similarly sparsely drawn. The characters of Eddie and Auntie Ethel, who speaks multiple languages and is a reading coach, have a little more depth.

Given the suspenseful ending to Frankie D, Vegan Vampire , this reviewer is sure that more "Frankie D" books are in the works. This one will likely be enjoyed by emerging readers.

Recommended

Reviewer:

Karen Rankin is a Toronto, Ontario, writer and teacher.