Review - Vlad the Rad

Vlad the Rad
by Brigette Barrager
Date: 2019
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

NEW from the bestselling illustrator of Uni the Unicorn! A new mythical--and totally rad--character to laugh with and love.

Vlad is always getting in trouble at Miss Fussbucket's School for Aspiring Spooks. Unlike the other little vampires, witches, mummies, and ghosts, Vlad isn't very interested in learning spookiness. That's because...Vlad loves to skateboard! How can he possibly think about being a good spook when all he wants to do is practice his latest gnarly trick? Maybe Vlad can find a way to do both!

Brigette Barrager's debut author-illustrator project is full of energy, fun, and sweet tricks! Passionate kids will identify with Vlad, and will take heart from the way he combines his love of skateboarding with his schoolwork. A perfect Halloween read-aloud for the classroom!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Vlad the Rad is the story of a little vampire who's passionate about skateboarding. His teacher, however, does not approve. Miss Fussbucket thinks Vlad should put more energy into learning how to scare people. But Vlad isn't ready to give up what he loves, and he eventually comes up with a way to show his teacher and all his classmates that skateboarding and scaring aren't mutually exclusive.

I've read both of the Uni the Unicorn books, so I'm somewhat familiar with Barrager's work. The style of drawing in Vlad the Rad is a bit different, however. It's not quite as colourful and makes more use of black (which is understandable, given the subject matter). The characters are still wonderfully drawn, however (especially his very diverse classmates), and Vlad himself is adorable. The accompanying text is simple, but easy to follow.

For those looking for stories about not-so-scary vampires, Vlad the Rad might be just the book you're looking for... especially if you also like skateboarding.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5