Zombiekins

by Kevin Bolger, Aaron Blecha (Illustrator)

Fourth-grader Stanley Nudelman is about as wimpy as they come. He's cowardly, shy, and spends most of his time hiding from the school bully, Knuckles Bruzkowski! Then Stanley stumbles upon the yard sale of his neighbor, Old Lady Imavitch, where he buys a mysterious stuffed animal. But this isn't any old toy . . . it's Zombiekins! He's a little bit teddy, a little bit bunny, and a whole lotta ZOMBIE! And he's coming this way! Stump! Scri-i-i-i-itch . . .

Stump! Scri-i-i-i-itch . . .

Stanley brings Zombiekins to school and unleashes the worst zombie plague in fourth grade history! Can Stanley find the courage to save the day before his teachers notice the class is full of zombies? Or will he soon join the ranks of the snuggily UNDEAD?

Genres: Zombies, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Humor, Childrens, Horror, Juvenile

206 pages, Hardcover

First published June 24, 2010

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

There’s a scene where a zombified stuffed animal murders all the other stuffed animals and it was… kind of iconic.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ongoing joke, captured perfectly, is that school students are so gross and unruly and school teachers so self-righteous and oblivious that nothing changes when the students at Dementedyville's elementary school are all gradually turned into zombies. No one notices, except our protagonist and his best friend, who have accidentally brought this danger to the school in the form of Zombiekins. Zombiekins is a strange stuffed toy that Stanley bought at a yard sale, a sale at Number 4 Shadow Lane, the spooky house on the top of the hill owned by Widow Imavitch. She warned Stanley to read the instructions that came with Zombiekins, but he, of course, never did, and now he's worried about a lifetime of detention for turning his schoolmates into monsters. The humor is never subtle or sophisticated, but it's still fun and right on target for elementary and middle readers.

That's when Stanley realized he had a BIG problem: No matter how slow-moving Felicity was, as long as he stayed put she'd eventually catch him. But he couldn't run away without getting in trouble for being out of his desk.

Felicity kept lumbering in his direction . . . gnashing her teeth . . . clawing the air. . . .

Soon she was just a few lurches away. . . .

Stanley weighed his options: Mauled by a zombie? Or yelled at by his teacher?

He shrunk down as small as he could make himself at his desk. He decided he was more afraid of Mr. Baldengrumpy.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My inner 3rd grade boy loved this! Creepy, funny, lots of ick... A toy bought at a garage sale (from the Widow Imavitch, hint hint...) comes with strict instructions, which are, of course, not read by its new owner. Destruction and zombie transformations ensue! A sequel to come. Worth it for the illustrations alone!!

[Westen Gunning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a harmless toy, right? Wrong. Zombiekins is no ordinary stuffed rabbit. After being bought at a yard sale, he almost brings a zombie apocalypse, starting at the school...

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Zombiekins, the setting is in a town named Dementedyville, a usually quiet town. A boy named Stanley Nudelman, at a yard sale of a widow-witch, buys a half dead-looking stuffy (as in stuffed animal type toy). The zombiekins came with directions that said to not expose it to direct sunlight, but Stanley didn’t read the directions. After Zombiekins has been exposed to moonlight, it starts changing all the students at school into zombies. Stanley and his friend Miranda have to figure out how stop Zombiekins and cure the “infection.” The infection is zombies. Stanley starts out scared of a lot of things and you could call him wimpy since he does not like taking chances. To save everyone, he had to be brave. The moral of the story is to read instructions. If Stanley would have followed the instructions, there wouldn’t have been any problems in the first place. This is a children’s horror book.

[Akoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Stanley got a macabre looking stuffed animal at a yard sale hosted by an old lady rumored to be a witch, he didn't think anything of it. The stuffed animal even came with it's own packaging box and instructions but Stanley discarded them without a second thought. The next day he took the toy to show off at school and next thing he knew, students at his school started turning into zombies.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was equally funny, outrageous and unbelievable.
Especially how oblivious the teachers were to the zombie outbreak. I loved how Miranda and Stanley teamed up to save the day (with Miranda taking charge of course). There was a bit of character growth but I felt like Zombiekins was more rounded compared to Stanley.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it. It's a bummer there is no sign of book two anywhere.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those laugh-out-loud kid books that adults will enjoy reading too -- I mean, what kid is going to understand the sentence "Elsewhere in the school, it was center time downstairs in Ms. Mellow's kindergarten and the classroom was bustling with non-gender-specific-role-playing activities," and what adult isn't going to think that's hilarious?

This one has pretty much everything a 4th grade boy could want -- humor, disgustingness, and...well...zombie stuffed animals.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was so funny, and even my 17 year old said, I need to read this. Great story for school agers, but dialogue and narrative that is great for adults as well.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bolger has a hit here!! Boys will love this romp through the supernatural. A sure hit for reluctant readers.

[Ralfie Amaya]

I luv this book

[Yulia Korovina · Rating 5 out of 5]

i barely actually remember what this was about but i remember thinking it was good & i've read it multiple times especially when i was little so🤷

[Sarah Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when my five year old son brought Zombiekins home on library day from school! That cover just screamed "Read me!"

We had a lot of fun reading this one before bed over a few days. My son loves the strange little things in life, and Zombiekins fit right in. This mysterious and menacing creature tries to take over an entire school, turning everyone in its path into zombies. My little guy was worried for the kids, but loved that Zombiekins was able to walk around and couldn't wait to see who he would cross paths with next.

The illustrations were comical and done in a kid friendly way. I don't think most children would find this scary, but I know there are some out there who might. We both looked forward to seeing what the next depiction would be.

My son just started school so he was completely enthralled by the school setting and enjoyed reading about the older kids. Bolger has a unique sense of humour that was present in his writing and even I was laughing out loud at certain parts.

We look forward to reading the rest of his books!

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun and clever little book for elementary and middle school age students. The illustrations are funny and well done but may be too much for younger or sensitive readers. The characters are pretty one dimensional and cliche so the book relies on a steady dose of action, which is largely successful. My biggest complaints were that this is yet another book for young readers which sends the message that teachers are stupid and school is a prison. I understand the appeal of that, but I also notice that too many books like this have really effected my son's perceptions of school and education.

[Christine Rains · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stanley finds a creepy cute stuffed animal at his creepy neighbor's yard sale. Zombiekins is a toy with a mind and an appetite of its own, though. Stanley brings it to school and causes a zombie outbreak. How is he going to get out of this trouble?

I read this book with my seven and a half year old, and he laughed as the zombie outbreak had the kids at the school doing silly stuff. It's a little creepy, gross, and hilarious. I didn't think much of the plot itself, but my son had a fun time with this book.

[Damien Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book for kids that are looking to go from short stories to chapter books. The book goes through up and downs and is very adventurous. It will leave you on the edge on your seats and coming back to read it again. You will gather a connection with the characters, and will laugh throughout the book. I read this book at least 10 times and pretty sure I still have the beat up book somewhere in my room.

[Tyler Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book out loud to my 5-year-old son, and we had a lot of great laughs together. Would I have ever picked it up for myself? No way. Am I ever going to read it again? Probably not. But am I happy I took the time to read it? Absolutely. I chuckled at the way that the author would use wildly exaggerated descriptions of the simplest details. I also loved all of the dumb jokes. So good.

[Geri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love zombies.

A stuffed zombie toy turns all the kids in school into zombies while the teachers are totally oblivious.
Of course being a kid you threw the directions away so you don't know how to stop him.

Great kids book.

[Guillermo Valladolid · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was funny and okay i liked it because there was action it was mostly about Stanely and Brenda and how they where stuck in a school full of zombies then they figure that taffy brought them back to normal and all the teachers back.

[Jayanha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!!!!!

Love u !!!!!! I also love your books so much! Please make a zombiekins 2! Thank you !!!!! Your the best!

[Jozef Asquith Crooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok... my boy loved it. But he also loves "Teddyscare" a stuffed mutilated teddybear.

The story was fun, he enjoyed & well that is all that mattered!

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, especially for my 8 year old. We join the ranks of thousands who yearn for a Zombiekins 2.

[Amy Chapman · Rating 2 out of 5]

My kids really enjoyed this book. I read it aloud to them.

[Samyukta Rajesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book 📚 because it has a great 👍 ending. My favorite part of the book is when Stanley was fighting the zombies.

[Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

great children's book

[The Rusty Key · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Rusty Key Writer: Becca Worthington

Recommended for: Ages 9-11

One Word Summary: Zombie-larious

First of all, when we’re talking about an author whose last book was titled Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger, you know you’re entering goofy giggle-kid territory. If the thought of a zombie stuffed animal tickles your funny bone, then you will absolutely love Zombiekins. And if you don’t find the idea of an undead plush toy to be particularly humorous, then... well, (1) you’re silly, and (2) it doesn’t matter because you’ll probably still love the book anyway.

In the quiet town of Dementedyville, third grader Stanley Nudelman goes to a yard sale at Widow Imavitch’s eerie near-abandoned house, where he finds himself drawn to a strange stuffed animal. It’s part bear and part rabbit, with webbed claws, one dangling eye, and two tiny fangs instead of a bunny’s buckteeth. The box says it is “Zombiekins.” Sure, all the neighborhood dogs run howling at the sight of it, but it seems harmless enough… until that night in the moonlight when a strange thing happens: Zombiekins claws his way out of the toy chest and limps across the playroom toward the teddy bear tea party, where he tears the other stuffed animals to shreds.

That day Stanley takes Zombiekins to school. It’s weird, one-of-a-kind, and a total hit with everyone except the school bully Knuckles Bruzkowski and Stanley’s teacher Mr. Baldengrumpy. Back in class while everyone is watching a movie, things take a turn for the terrifying when Zombiekins escapes into the school halls, limping his way with a “Stump!–scri-i-i-i-i-itch… Stump!–scri-i-i-i-i-itch” through the kindergarteners, the music class, the fourth graders’ dodgeball game, even into the terrifying girls’ bathroom, turning children into zombies left and right. Will Stanley be able to catch his demented doll before the whole school is overrun with undead students?

Kevin Bolger obviously had a lot of fun writing this—almost as much fun as I had reading it—and Aaron Blecha’s illustrations on every page make their own jokes and achieve the perfect balance of icky and adorable. Deeply squeamish children may find the story to be a little tense or the illustrations a little gross at times, but it is overall very safe for young children. Plus, as a bonus for parents, Zombiekins is one of those rare books that is an absolute delight to read out loud, full of inside jokes for adults (it had my father laughing out loud) while remaining perfectly entertaining for upper elementary students who will undoubtedly get a kick out of zombie toddlers eating chalk. Stanley’s quest for bravery is exciting to follow, and the book is a fun, zippy adventure from start to finish. It’s an inspiring collaboration by two strong creative minds. This is 100 percent guaranteed fun for the whole family.

For more reviews from The Rusty Key, visit us at www.therustykey.com

[Teresa Scherping Moulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The town of Dementedyville is a pretty boring, uneventful place. Except for one house - the spooky mansion of the Widow Imavitch, a place where no child has dared to trick-or-treat. When the Widow decides to have a yard sale, however, a boy named Stanley purchases a strange toy there: a stuffed creature called Zombiekins with "one floppy bunny ear on a teddy bear's head and body...webbed paws with sharp claws...feet like a lizard...and two fangs instead of a rabbit buckteeth." Stanley ignores the Widow's warning to read the toy's instructions, so when Zombiekins comes to life and begins to turn Stanley's classmates into zombies, Stanley has no idea what to do. Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger is a great choice for anyone who wants a story with plenty of laughs, scares, and heart-pounding adventure.

This book hits just the right note between creepy and funny. It definitely establishes a spooky atmosphere and builds the suspense, but it cuts that with frequent dry or occasionally outrageous humor. There is definitely potty humor here and some gross descriptions, but it never gets to the point of real gore. There are illustrations throughout the book, which may add to the appeal for some kids.

I would recommend this book for grades 3-6. It would be great for reluctant readers and fans of humor or zombies. It reminded me a lot of the Franny K. Stein books except for a higher reading level. Other readalikes might include the Zombie Chasers series by John Kloepfer or Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies by Andrea Beaty.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zombiekins is from the same author who wrote Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger, one of my favorite books for its wit and puns. However, Zombiekins is quite a different book. Stanley finds a stuffed animal who has a floppy ear of a bunny and a teddy bears. He also has webbed paws, sharp claws, feet like a lizard and two fangs instead of rabbit teeth. There is something about this that appeals to Stanley and I quite agree. Where the first book is silly and funny the second is creepy but not to scary. Stanley is warned that it is important that he read the instructions for his new toy but does not heed Widow Imavitch. It is here that I am reminded of the movie Gremlins where you are not to let them eat after midnight, but we all know that is going to happen anyways. After Zombiekins basks in the moonlight, Stanley takes his new toy to school only to have all of the children in Demetedyville turned into Zombies. With the help of his friend Miranda, Stanley must figure out how to change all of the children back before the end of the school day. Although, I so enjoyed Sir Fatsalot much better I did enjoy the story and the illustrations are what can really sell this book for middle grade readers. I originally wanted to give this a two star but the illustrations push it up to a three for me.

[Ubalstecha · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one in the town of Dementedyville ever goes near Old Lady Imavitch's house, until the day there is a garage sale. Then the town can't wait to buy her stuff. Against his better judgment, Stanley decides to buy the beat-up teddy bear with the bunny ear, a dangly eye and claws. And instead of listening to the warning of the creepy old lady, Stanley trows out the box with the instructions and takes the stuffed animal home.

Stanley awakes to a scene of horror in the playroom. All the other stuffed animals have been vivesectioned. Only Zmbiekins was spared. Thinking it was the dog's fault, Stanley takes they toy to school. Soon his school mates are turning into zombies. Can Stanley find the cure in time?

A funny, fresh, and surprisingly age appropriate, take on zombies from Ottawa author and teacher, Kevin Bolger. This will appeal to the junior boy with it's gross out humour and cartoon illustrations. There are times that Bolger is not writing for the young, but rather the parents who might read the book to their children. Fun stuff.

[Samantha Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stanley Nudelman finds a cute little zombie stuffy while shopping at the local witch’s yard sale. He takes it home where his dog freaks out, but he thinks nothing much of it. The next morning, all of his sister’s toys are mangled and ripped apart, so he takes Zombiekins to school.

Zombiekins is a fun read full of fantastic illustrations. I’m pretty sure Bolger’s goal of reaching boy readers will be met with this tale. I would not recommend it for younger readers as it is rather violent in parts.

As an adult reader, I found the descriptions of teachers and especially Kindergarten very entertaining. A favourite quote would be “In the Playhouse, one boy was pretending to be the kind of daddy who liked to wear an apron and bake mud pies, whil the girl he was playing with was pretending to be the kind of mommy who liked to throw dishes and yell at you to get a job (p. 97). “ Bolger certainly knows school culture! His description of the staff room is also hilarious.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so creepy-cute! Saw this sucker in my library while processing it and just had to take it home and see what type of zombie shenanigans children were getting themselves into.

Zombiekins is about a stuffed toy zombie that Stanley purchased from the creepy Widow in Dementedyville (wicked name). He fails to listen to her advice in reading the instructions and later that night zombiekins comes to life. It goes to Stanley's school and start wreaking havoc. Will he be able to save his classmates from becoming undead?

Hilariously cute. Great play on words such as Marsha Mellow and Jacques Straap. Also the pictures helped tell more of the story that you may not have realized with words alone, like the fact the Widow was also the cat. The art work was great to accompanying the story line with it's hints of humor emerged into it. Zombiekins was just enough cuteness, humor and mystery for all ages to enjoy.