Zombie and Brain Are Friends

by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic, Laan Cham (Illustrator)

Overview

Zombie in Love meets Gustavo, the Shy Ghost in this story about a young zombie who must decide: Are brains friends…or food?

Zeb comes from a family of farmers-zombie farmers. Each week they pickle, bake, fry, and sell their grain-fed, free-range brains to be enjoyed by the masses. Zeb understands that brains are food, not pets…until one day he comes across the tiniest, pinkest, squishiest brain he ever did see! Can he convince his parents that his brainy bestie is better off as a member of the family than family dinner?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547613632
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	09/02/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic is the author of The End of Something Wonderful ; Hello, Star; The League of Picky Eaters; What is Hope; and Hummingbird Season. She writes books in the San Francisco Bay Area surrounded by a few kids, a few cats, and one husband.
@grubreport
https://www.stephanielucianovic.com/

Laan Cham is a first-generation Singaporean American illustrator from New Jersey who currently lives in Vancouver. Pursuing her love of storytelling, Laan first worked as an editor for children's cartoon shows; but, now spends her time drawing cute characters with unspoken magic and vibrant colors.
@laan.cham
https://www.laancham.com/

Editorial Reviews

Irresistibly cute… . A cuddly “Can I keep it?” tale with a silly, flesh-eating twist.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Lucianovic peppers her variation on the “Can I keep it?” genre with sly humor . . . while Cham's depictions of offbeat locavore culture are sweetly ghoulish.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2025-05-03
Zeb is your average zombie kid—he lives on his family’s farm raising grain-fed, free-range brains, which are then sold at the local farmers market.

One morning, a most unusual thing happens: A baby brain twitches to life and bounces into Zeb’s arms. Zeb and his brain (named Brian) quickly become inseparable. It takes some convincing for Zeb’s mother to let him keep Brian—“Brains are food, NOT pets!”—but finally she gives in. Fearing for Brian’s safety around his hungry zombie father, however, Zeb tearfully concludes that the safest place for Brian is out in the forest with the other wild brains. After assuring Zeb that Brian is in no real danger of being eaten, his father helps him on a quest to find Brian and bring him back home for good. Inviting digital illustrations portray Zeb and his family as angular, freckled green zombies with irresistibly cute cartoon faces. Brian and the other brains are equally huggable. While adults may find this buddy story a tad predictable, wrapping up as it does with a neat, happy ending, its quirky charm will readily appeal to young monster lovers. And for those who can make the connection between Zeb’s zany zombie farm and the real-world farm-to-table food system, this heartfelt picture book may even spark an interest in locally sourced fare.

A cuddly “Can I keep it?” tale with a silly, flesh-eating twist.(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews