Hampire
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Cute suspense tale with twist; great Halloween read-aloud.
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What's the Story?
A duck sneaks out of the barn for a midnight snack, but after he raids the farmer's fridge and tiptoes out with his platter of jelly donuts, he realizes he's being pursued by the dreaded Hampire -- a giant pig in a Dracula-like cloak, rumored to lurk on the farm at night. (The animals have found red drips on the grass, believed to have dripped off the Hampire's fangs.) Duck flees to the shed, aided by barnyard friends Pony and Chicken. “The Hampire’s on our tail!” Duck cried./ “Our goose is cooked indeed!”/ The trio shrieked,/ And when Duck peeked,/ The swine was gaining speed.” Suspense builds before and during the chase, then the Hampire blasts thought the shed where they’re hiding and devours the donuts. Turns out he had no intention of eating the animals -- he’s a vegetarian -- and the \"blood\" drips they'd seen were jelly.
Is It Any Good?
This delightful story in verse is effectively suspenseful but not truly scary. The rhymes are fresh and clever and move the action along, making it a perfect read-aloud book. The evocative illustrations are a great combination of dread and excitement, comedy and camaraderie. Pictures of Duck fleeing from the farmer's kitchen across the barnyard, through the chicken coop, and atop Pony to the shed while carrying a platter full of teetering stacks of donuts keep things exciting but light in tone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what vampires are, and why people -- and barnyard animals -- would be afraid of them. Why are vampires associated with Halloween? Are they real or just imaginary?
The twist is that the Hampire is a vegetarian. What does that mean? What did the animals mistake for drops of blood on the grass?
Book Details
- Author: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
- Genre: Picture Book
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Harper
- Publication date: July 26, 2011
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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