Little Vampire and the Midnight Bear (Easy-to-Read, Dial) - Hardcover

Grade 1-3?Kwitz's story has humor, adventure, and suspense?all the elements that make for a good read. Four short chapters about a young vampire who can't wait to be old enough to fly lead to a longer one in which he takes on the Midnight Bear and rescues his baby sister from its clutches. A brief final chapter provides a satisfying closure to the tale. Readers will identify with the main character's impatience to grow up and will share with him both the fear of the Midnight Bear and the joy of receiving a loving birthday surprise from his grandfather in the end. The author's use of one long climactic chapter will provide a stretch for beginning readers; however, pictures on each page lessen the difficulty. The format provides a base for movement toward longer fiction. Schindler's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations play an integral part in adding both humor and warmth to the text. They also keep the scary parts within safe boundaries. The title and colorful cover will attract both readers and listeners. Little Vampire won't sit on the shelves.?Mary Ann Bursk, Bucks County Free Library, Levittown, PA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Preschool^-Gr. 3. What are little vampires afraid of? The Midnight Bear. Little Vampire still can't fly; Cousin Bubba teases him. Little Vampire's sister, Baby Vampira, cries at her brother's scary faces. Fledgling readers will keep turning the pages of this easy reader to find Little V's eventual triumph. The household is somewhere between the Addams family and the Brady Bunch, providing a familiar atmosphere for readers wanting to read a chapter book just as much as Little V wants to fly. And Schindler's illustrations take the edge off the fear: any Midnight Bear wearing a T-shirt that says "I'm Bad" is not the stuff of nightmares. Mary Harris Veeder