June 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-Zombelina (no relation to Thumbelina) loves to dance, especially for her family. She can moonwalk with mummies, boogie with bats, wiggle with werewolves, rock out with rats, spin like a specter, and glide like a ghost. Then her mother decides she should become a real ballerina and sends her to classes. Her instructor, Madame Maladroit, thinks she's superb, but her classmates aren't so sure about the new green student. After much practice, Zombelina is ready for the big recital. Unfortunately stage fright takes over and all she can do is hold out her arms and make a few moans. Shouts of ZOMBIE! ensue and the audience runs away. Luckily the seats are soon filled with Zombelina's family and spooks, so she dances for them. Her mother says, "You're so good, it's scary!" and her teacher proclaims, "DREAD-fully unique!" Back home via broom they have a fun party where Zombelina wraps up the theme of the story, "My performance was haunting tonight!/My family makes everything turn out all right." Crow's rhyming text is ready-made for reading aloud. Idle's colored-pencil illustrations are bursting with details, facial expressions, wonderfully slightly spooky touches, and when appropriate, love. An unusually well-done mix of Halloween, dance, and family that's sure to please many youngsters.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
Get ready to applaud the pluck of a young zombie with a passion for ballet. Zombelina loves dancing: "I moonwalk with mummies and boogie with bats. / I wiggle with werewolves and rock out with rats. / I spin like a specter and glide like a ghost. / But I love to dance for my family the most." With a vampire baby brother, a mother who is a witch and a mad scientist for a dad, this sure-footed protagonist comes from an eccentric clan supportive of her dream to be a ballerina. So on Saturday nights, she attends class with Madame Maladroit. Although her teacher is impressed with her talent, Zombelina's classmates cringe and say she's "taking [her] talents too far." Here, Idle contrasts the studio's ballerina-pink palette with the lime green presence of Zombelina, who has detached her leg from her hip socket in order to better execute a leg extension. The illustrations add fun and ably complement Crow's rollicking, rhyming text. Some pages provide lush spreads, including some that are aglow in red hues during the night of Zombelina's debut. Others feature vignettes showing her dedicated practice of plies and pirouettes, popping against the white background. Budding ballerinas will surely appreciate this tale, but also share with any child who may need an example of what determination and practice can accomplish when applied to what one loves. (Picture book. 4-7)

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May 15, 2017
Crow and Idle’s dance-loving, undead heroine helps a ghostly new student adjust to the classroom in her third outing. Zombelina can’t wait to show off her best moves during show and tell, but although her routine falls apart (as does her body, with limbs popping off and eyeballs rolling away) she still encourages a nervous Morty to sing his heart out: “He nods and he quivers, then sings out of tune./ It’s awesome! Like werewolves that howl at the moon!” Idle’s balletic, curving lines are put to excellent use in this dance-themed story, which balances its sappier moments with mischievous, gross-out ones. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Kendra Marcus, Bookstop Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

January 1, 2014
Rhymed couplets chronicle a young zombie girl's progression from dancing at home to ballet classes (her detachable limbs give her amazing extension) to a recital. Although Zombelina has a moment of stage fright during her performance, her supportive family's shrieking, howling, and cheering see her through. The charming, funny, and technically accurate dance illustrations outshine the somewhat hokey text.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)