Review for Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio

Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio, Illustrated by Scott Campbell

Atheneum

August 23, 2011

Ages 4-8

32 Pages

ISBN-10: 1442402709

ISBN-13: 978-1442402706

Fiction     Children’s Picture Book  

Kelly DiPucchio is the award-winning author of several children's books, including New York Times bestseller, GRACE FOR PRESIDENT, and THE SANDWICH SWAP, a book co-authored for Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, which President Bill Clinton called “a delightful story.”

Reviewer Renee Hand

Zombie in Love is a bizarre rendition of searching for love in all the wrong places. 

Mortimer was a very lonely zombie. He wanted to go to Cupid’s Ball, but didn’t have a sweetheart to take to it. For some reason, every advance he tried just didn’t turn out quite right. He gave a girl a box of chocolates, but she didn’t accept them because worms were crawling around inside.

He gave his mail carrier a heart, literally a heart from someone’s body. She obviously was unimpressed and grossed out.

Mortimer gave this cute waitress at a diner a beautiful diamond ring. Who wouldn’t cherish such a gift? Someone who noticed that the ring was still attached to a finger. 

Mortimer was more depressed than ever. He tried everything to impress the ladies. He worked out in the gym, took dancing classes, and even sang songs. If only he weren’t so dead—that might change everything. 

In a last ditch effort, Mortimer puts an ad in the paper for the girl of his dreams to meet him at Cupid’s Ball. Will Mortimer ever find his true love?

The storyline is simple for younger children to understand, focusing on Mortimer’s efforts at finding love and the challenges he faces. The illustrations really turn this story into a humorous masterpiece, perfect for children who like Halloween and revel in the grotesque. 

The ending, however, is rather predictable. Some children will enjoy and appreciate Mortimer’s humor and frustration in this 32-page picture book, while others may find the images more disturbing than funny. If your child didn’t like William Steig’s Shrek!, chances are you might want to pass on this one. But if he or she did, then go for it! It’s grossly delicious—kinda like tart gummy worms.