95. Bob the Vampire Snail

95. Bob the Vampire Snail. Andrea Zuill. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]

First sentence: Slam! Thud! Crash! Bob heard a terrifying...scream! Then a stomp, stomp, stomp of running feet. Next came an uncomfortable...crack of a shell. Then finally a powerful...poof! An icky drip.

Premise/plot: Bob the snail is about to become Bob the VAMPIRE snail. He didn't ask for the change, nor did he welcome it. But what's a vampire snail to do?! Learn how to do vampire-y things, of course. So what will Bob drink? The "blood" of tomatoes. Still, it's a lonely life for Bob....or is it?!

My thoughts: This book is weird, strange, odd, quirky, different. The darkness is outweighed by the silliness, for the most part. Reading is subjective. There were things I enjoyed about the story. There are speech bubbles with VAMPIRE facts and SNAIL facts. The premise itself is intriguing. The title alone makes one curious to read it. For me, I didn't quite like it like I'd hoped. I do think it has appeal for the right reader(s).

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers