Zombie in Love 2+1

Name: Zombie in Love 2+1
Item: Zombie in Love 2+1
Rating: 4
Author: Darienne Stewart

Book review by

Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 4+

(i)

Sweet, silly zombie family tale full of ghoulish giggles.

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

Educational Value

Depicts some of the responsibilities of parents and typical behavior of babies.

Positive Messages

Be kind and generous and take in someone in need. Do your best, no matter what curves life throws at you.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Mortimer and Mildred take in a baby left at their door and are devoted parents. They invest lots of time and attention to help him be healthy and happy and celebrate what they perceive to be his successes.

Violence & Scariness

There's no real violence, but there are lots of grisly touches for comedic effect: A parent's nose breaks off, severed hands are used to play patty-cake, and a skull stands in as a drum. The baby tumbles out of his crib.

Language

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Zombie in Love 2+1 is the second book by Kelly DiPucchio (Crafty Chloe) and Scott Campbell (Hug Machine) to feature spooky soul mates Mortimer and Mildred, and it's just as sweet and macabre as the first book. Spiders, brains, skulls, and severed body parts are playthings, food, and home decor.

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What's the story?

Zombies Mortimer and Mildred are happy to take in a baby left in front of their tomb. But they fret: Sonny's teeth are coming in instead of falling out, he sleeps all night and is awake all day, and he hardly ever cries. The doctor assures them that Sonny's healthy and happy, but Mildred and Mortimer are still anxious. They redouble their efforts, waiting for the day their baby finally does something monstrous.

Is it any good?

ZOMBIE IN LOVE 2+1 cheekily turns new-baby stories on their heads with delightful results. The absurd backwardness of the plot -- parents fretting because their baby doesn't scream and cry -- guarantees happy giggles rather than grossed-out groans. Grown-ups who know what it's like to be zombie parents will appreciate winking references to being "dead tired" and the worried parents "racking their brains."

Illustrator Scott Campbell's watercolors soften the gore and are packed with tiny details: rotten-apple baby food, a pull toy made of brains, itty-bitty earthworms cavorting in every spread, and bookshelves filled with clever titles (Make Way for Zombies, I Want My Brain Back, and Campbell's own Hug Machine).

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about how Mildred, Mortimer, and Sonny are similar to and different from a typical family. Imagine what might be in store when Sonny is old enough for school.
Why is this book so funny and not scary? Would it be different if it were a cartoon on TV or a movie in a theater?
Parents can share what made the characters nervous when they first had a baby.