If I were a Zombie by K. Inglis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20361/G2H90DAbstract
Inglis, Kate. If I were a Zombie. Illustrated by Eric Orchard. Nimbus Publishing, 2016.
This book is a collection of poems written and illustrated by Canadians. Each poem introduces the reader to a new creature or monster with a picture that looks drawn by a child. The poems detail how the creature or monsters would behave through the mind of a child. Some examples of the monsters or creatures in this book are a giant, vampire, alien, goblin, mermaid and a zombie. The rhythmic prose of each stanza adds to the playful nature of each creature.
The illustrations in this book are bright and vibrant with bold colours such as green, brown and blue. They are consistent and an integral part of the picture book, providing visual support for the text. The illustrator’s use of line and alternating black and white text, add to the mysteriousness of these creatures.
I immediately picked up this book because of the captivating jacket design with the large, inviting title and quirky zombie picture. Yet the jacket design, both the cover and the teaser, misled me to believe that the book would be about zombies. Rather, the theme of the book revolves around a child’s imagination and what they would do if they were a certain creature or monster. The content of the book would be very enjoyable as a read aloud for a younger child, yet some text may be not easily understood by children of any age unfamiliar with our North American culture with words used such as kayak, Frisbee or cauldron.
Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars
Reviewer: Tina Voss
Tina is an elementary school teacher currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Education. When she is not reading any book she can get her hands on, she is walking her dog Phill.
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