My Rotten Friend

July 27, 2015
Give Blake and Epelbaum credit—they don’t go halfway on this story of ill-fated human-zombie friendship. Using an AAAB rhyme scheme, Blake (The Marble Queen) writes from the perspective of a blond, blue-eyed narrator, whose BFF has seen better days: “She’s my best friend, but I won’t lie,/ Penelope smells like something died./ Her hair is matted. She’s missing an eye./ Can you sort of see her brains?” Epelbaum gives Penelope a cute kitten T-shirt and skirt—as well as sickly green skin, a lolling tongue, and body parts that tend to become detached. The narrator sticks up for her friend, but after getting bitten herself, she starts “feeling hungry, but not for food...” Especially icky scenes include one of Penelope chowing down on brains (while flies sample her own), so while Epelbaum’s cartoons establish a sunny suburban atmosphere, this story is best for families who like their humor wicked. Ages 4–7.

August 1, 2015
A friendship between a girl and a zombie goes awry. The results are downright frightening. Penelope is the narrator's best friend. She is also a zombie. The other kids in school give Penelope a wide berth since she always seems eager to bite someone. Blake tells the majority of this unfortunate tale in awkwardly rhyming text. "She said she's in the eating mood, / But she didn't want to share my food. / She bit the coach. A teacher too. / Do you think they'll be OK?" Penelope goes home with her friend, and then the inevitable happens-the narrator is bitten by her zombie pal. Soon, her father, the letter carrier, and a dog become part of the "zombie buffet." Readers may cringe or cackle at the page showing a blissful Penelope enjoying her plate of pink brains, but there are few places where readers can fully engage. Epelbaum ably adds comic touches with his slick digital cartoon illustrations, but even those fail to rescue this tainted tale. While zombies appear to be the creature of this Halloween season, look elsewhere for an entertaining reading experience. (Picture book. 4-6)

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