Vampirina Ballerina Hosts a Sleepover - by Anne Marie Pace (Hardcover)

Number of Pages: 32
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Sub-Genre: Humorous Stories
Series Title: Vampirina
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Age Range: 4-8 Years
Author: Anne Marie Pace
Language: English

About the Book

A charming follow-up to "Vampirina Ballerina." Before Vampirina can host her very first sleepover there are a few things she must keep in mind: be polite and offer her guests food; plan some games like scavenger hunt; and don't forget to dance! Full color.

Book Synopsis

Before Vampirina can host her very first sleepover there are a few things she must keep in mind: be polite and offer her guests food (like blood pudding); plan some games like scavenger hunt (but keep the clues simple so no one gets lost); and don't forget to dance!
Vampirina may be a little nervous at first, but by following a few simple rules she will host the Best Sleepover Ever.

Review Quotes

In Vampirina's second story, the doe-eyed vampire ballerina demonstrates how to host a successful sleepover. Initially, Pham shows Vampirina trying to mask her clan's Addams family tendencies, placing a pink rug over a trapdoor and dressing up a pet bat like a parrot. Once the sleepover starts, she learns she's not the only one who appreciates bat wings and the color black. Throughout, Pace's droll advice contrasts delightfully with Pham's spooky-comical watercolors ("For those not eager to sink their teeth into something new, pizza will do," she writes; the other menu option involves tentacles), and it should prove heartening for readers who feel that their families are a bit different. Ages 3 5. PW"

K-Gr 2 Vampirina, introduced in Vampirina Ballerina (Hyperion, 2012), decides to invite her friends from ballet class to a sleepover. This entertaining tale of an exciting night in a vampire's home instructs readers on how to be a considerate hostess. In order to help her guests feel comfortable, Vampirina decorates her somber home with pink to downplay all the black, deep purple, and gray; the black cat wears a pink bow, and the suit of armor sports a tutu. Following a dinner of their choice pizza or octopus stew the girls explore Vampirina's room, play makeovers, and go on an exhilarating scavenger hunt. A bout of homesickness is alleviated by the hostess's thoughtfulness and the party is a success. The text uses words and phrases dear to a vampire's and ballerina's heart: "they're a scream," "sink their teeth into," "dying to see," "on pointe," and "ensemble." The watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations invite perusal as they are filled with humorous details, from Vampirina's bemused, but loving parents to the expressions on the guests' faces as they are introduced to another kind of family and living situation. Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI SLJ"

This follow-up to Vampirina Ballerina (rev. 9/12) finds the young vampire in another sticky social situation: planning "the best sleepover ever" for her newfound (human) ballet class buddies. The Munsters-worthy household makes many well-meaning attempts to put Vampirina's guests at ease for the festivities (banishing the resident monster to the basement, festooning the cobwebby castle with Christmas lights and heart-shaped throw pillows). Despite its efforts, the family's true nature eventually comes out, resulting in a delightful collision of worlds. And while Vampirina's friends may be taken aback at first, ultimately they like her just the way she is. The fete hits all the classic sleepover favorites-scary movies, makeovers, a scavenger hunt, a pillow fight, and, of course, a dance party-with a distinct vampire flair. This book's humor is a bit more subtle than the first's, coming primarily in the counterpoint between Pace's wryly straight-laced text (in which there's nary a mention of vampires, but plenty of intentionally dreadful puns) and Pham's illustrations full of cheerful chaos. A mash-up of the uber-girly and the mildly gothy naturally calls for lots of pink and soft black, but new characters and a more extensive view of Vampirina's abode allow for an expanded palette. Any gathering at Vampirina's is sure to be a scream. katie bircher Horn Book"

About the Author

Anne Marie Pace (www.annemariepace.com) is the author of Vampirina Ballerina, and has had stories, poems, and articles for kids published in such magazines as Highlights for Children, My Friend, Wee Ones, and On the Line. A 2005 Grand Prize winner in the Smartwriters W.I.N. contest as well as a 2009 SCBWI Barbara Karlin Award Letter of Merit recipient.

LeUyen Pham (http: //www.leuyenpham.com/) is the prolific and bestselling illustrator of many books for children, including Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore and God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Pham has also written and illustrated her own works, including All the Things I Love About You and Big Sister, Little Sister. A former animator for Dreamworks, she lives with her husband and two sons in San Francisco