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What could be worse: having a zombie for a father, or having your zombie father turned into a vampire? That’s the question the Shluffmuffin twins are asking themselves in the hilarious third book of the “Secrets of the Dripping Fang” series. Author Dan Greenburg smoothly and swiftly continues the story with the appearance of Wally and Cheyenne’s lost-lost dad. A tragic Porta Potti accident had claimed his life, but he returns to his family as a zombie. (Although he still doesn’t smell too good!)
Yet hope looms on the horizon when Professor Spydelle tries out his life-restoring elixir on Mr. Shluffmuffin. Little does anyone know that the side effect of this miracle cure will turn dead old dad into a vampire. As can be imagined, there are a lot of problems having a vampire in the family, especially when he wants to tuck the twins into bed and get a goodnight’s kiss.
Although adults may consider the humor irreverent, it hits the target for this age group. Sure, the situations are exaggerated and extraordinary, but the end result is having a child giggle as the pages are turned. In fact, I had to hunt down my copy of the book more than once because my eleven-year-old was thoroughly engrossed in it. Even though I may have been a little “grossed” myself, I appreciated the silliness and the author’s ability to get children interested in reading.
Creative illustrations help to bring some of the imagination to reality, but it is the writing that steers the story into strange and suspenseful situations. Each chapter is bite-sized (hey it’s a story about vampires!) and the perfect length to hold the reader’s interest. Dialogue and action keep the story moving, which causes the pages to flip pretty fast. Even though parents may consider this book “brain candy,” the good news is that it’s guaranteed not to cause cavities!
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Secrets of Dripping Fang, Book 3: The Vampire's Curse