For fans of The Okay Witch and Fake Blood, this hilarious middle grade graphic novel follows a half-vampire, half-lumberjack boy who feels torn between his parents and just wants to be a dancer.
Jack is in a pickle. His lumberjack mom wants him to go to Mighty Log Lumberjack Prep to learn how to chop wood and wear flannel. His vampire dad wants him to go to Sorrow’s Gloom Vampire School to learn how to turn into a bat and drink blood-orange juice. And Jack has a secret: what he really wants to do is dance.
When he finds out about Tip Tap Twinkle Toes Dance Academy from new friend Plenty, Jack feels he’s finally found the place where he can be his true self. But he’s too afraid of disappointing his family to tell them. What’s a half-lumberjack, half-vampire boy to do?
To summon the confidence to pursue his dreams, Jack will have to embrace every part of himself—his lumberjack toughness, his vampire eeriness, and most especially his awesome dance moves.
Industry Reviews
Meet Jack! He’s an 11-year-old lumberjack vampire who just graduated from “under school” and must decide where he will go to school next: Sorrow’s Gloom Vampire Academy or Mighty Log Lumberjack Prep. His lumberjack mother and vampire father say the decision is his to make, but he’s definitely feeling pressured to not let anyone in his family down. Worse still, neither school seems to be right for him. With his pointy ears and fangs, he doesn’t look like any of the other lumberjack kids, but his fear of heights makes it impossible for him to keep up with the other vampire kids in bat flying lessons. Feeling like a failure in addition to being overwhelmed with deciding his future, Jack turns to the one thing that makes him feel better: dancing! It’s during one of these impromptu dance moments that Jack meets a new friend who tells him about Tip Tap Twinkle Toes Dance Academy! For Jack, it’s a dream come true, but how can he follow his dreams if it means disappointing the family he loves? Owen’s vibrant and expressive illustrations add an extra layer of whimsy and liveliness to an already humorous story with engaging and creative worldbuilding. While characters are depicted with an array of skin colors, Jack’s lumberjack family are light-skinned. VERDICT A delightful romp through a magical world of fangs and flannel sure to keep young readers on their (twinkle) toes.
