Giracula

PreS-Gr 2–Giracula is a portmanteau that is so fun to say aloud, it’s almost worth purchasing the book for the title alone. When a giraffe is bitten by a vampire bat, he wakes up with fangs, a cloak, and a curious craving for the red stuff—cherry pie. Watkins tells Giracula’s story in rhyming text, a ballad giving the origin story of this mythical giraffe/vampire hybrid. Some of the rhymes are a stretch, like “disheartened” with “ice cream carton.” The rhythm is relatively consistent, but there are a few clunkers that trip up the tongue. The banana-yellow character of Giracula has an appealing look. Bold lines, pointy ears, and googily eyes make for a lovable cartoon creature who craves sweets instead of blood. Tuchman’s people are less inspired, although he does depict a diverse range of human characters. Background compositions are scattershot, lacking the cohesive vision of the title character. Some are detailed while others are composed of only a solid color. Odd little details, like a lion operating a remote-controlled drone, add whimsical charm, but objects and environments often look different from one page to the next, leaving the fanged hero without a solid sense of place. It’s also unclear how he can go out in the sun, and why he craves sugar instead of blood.