Sigi Cohen (text), and Matty Mitchell (illustrator), Zombie School Teachers, Larrikin House, October 2020, 36 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780648804925
Irreverence, lashings of Zombie-gore, ludicrous adults and screaming school children are the hallmarks of a wild tale that’s carried by clever rhyming couplets all the way to a suitable conclusion. The full-page, colourful illustrations offer a lively cartoon world that suggests all sorts of chaotic action. The bloodshot eyes and enormous mouths are part of the shocking delight one can find in this book. And the clever wall posters in classrooms and corridors along the way offer amusement to those who want to search the details of these lively illustrations.
This is a book made to read aloud, and perhaps to move through fairly quickly at times (are those teachers really eating children’s brains?). It is a very enjoyable romp of a book, and just might get that reluctant reader to become interested in the fun and games that can be imagined through encounters with books. Recommended for children three to eight, and adults who are looking for something that will read aloud well especially when done with gusto.
Reviewed by Kevin Brophy
