Zombies Don't Eat Veggies

by Jorge Lacera, Megan Lacera, Jorge Lacera (Illustrator)

Overview

Storyline Online Selection - SAG-AFTRA Foundation / Storyline Online

In this delightful debut by a talented husband-and-wife team, Mo Romero is a zombie with a deep, dark secret...

Mo Romero is a zombie who loves nothing more than growing, cooking, and eating vegetables. Tomatoes? Tantalizing. Peppers? Pure perfection! The problem? Mo's parents insist that their niño eat only zombie cuisine, like arm-panadas and finger foods. They tell Mo over and over that zombies don't eat veggies. But Mo can't imagine a lifetime of just eating zombie food and giving up his veggies. As he questions his own zombie identity, Mo tries his best to convince his parents to give peas a chance.

Super duo Megan and Jorge Lacera make their picture-book debut with this sweet story about family, self-discovery, and the power of acceptance. It's a delectable tale that zombie and nonzombie fans alike will devour.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620147948
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	04/02/2019
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	182,614
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jorge Lacera is a children's book author and illustrator, and currently an art director for a video game studio. Originally born in Colombia, Jorge grew up in Florida drawing anywhere his parents would let him. After graduating with honors from Ringling College of Art and Design, Jorge worked as a visual development and concept artist. As a big fan of pop culture, comics, and horror movies, Jorge rarely saw Latino kids as the heroes or leads. He is committed to changing that. The family currently resides in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. You can find him online at studiolacera.com.

Megan Lacera grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, with a book always in her hands. She became a writer and creator of characters and worlds for entertainment companies. After reading many stories to their son, Megan realized that few books reflected a family like theirs: multicultural, bilingual, funny, and imperfect. She decided to change that by writing her own stories, like her award-winning picture book debut Zombies Don't Eat Veggies! You can learn more about Megan and Studio Lacera at studiolacera.com.

Jorge Lacera is a children's book author and illustrator, and currently an art director for a video game studio. Originally born in Colombia, Jorge grew up in Florida drawing anywhere his parents would let him. After graduating with honors from Ringling College of Art and Design, Jorge worked as a visual development and concept artist. As a big fan of pop culture, comics, and horror movies, Jorge rarely saw Latino kids as the heroes or leads. He is committed to changing that. The family currently resides in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. You can find him online at studiolacera.com.

Editorial Reviews

"How can a spooky book about zombies be this warm and bright? I don't know, but kids are going to eat it up." — Adam Rex, New York Times Bestselling Author-Illustrator

* "Tasty and homegrown, this hits a strange and specific trifecta: a lightly bilingual book that feels inclusive not only for Latinx kids, but also for different eaters and for those who aren't afraid of gory, monster-themed humor." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Funny, cartoonish illustrations plant clever details into the scenes, such as a zombified selection of vegetables (e.g., heads of lettuce, ears of corn, artichoke hearts). The Laceras draw upon their own experience as a mixed-race couple to tell an unconventional but utterly relatable story of mixed families and Latin cooking (with a twist)." — Booklist

"This Halloween take on a be-yourself story—with occasional, naturally integrated Spanish—is full of wordplay both in the text ("Holy aioli!") and in the muted digital illustrations ("RIP Juan Moortime," reads a gravestone)." — The Horn Book

Storyline Online Selection - SAG-AFTRA Foundation / Storyline Online

Best Books - Kirkus Reviews
Black-Eyed Susan Award Winner - Maryland Association of School Librarians
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner - Kentucky Association of School Librarians
Rhode Island Latino Books Award - Rhode Island Latino Arts
Tejas Star Reading List 2021-2022 - Texas Library Association (TLA)

From the Publisher

★ 2019-01-28

A young boy who happens to be undead reveals himself as a vegetarian to parents who are not about to stop eating people parts.

Mo, a greenish, bespectacled kid, has an idea to share his love of the veggies he grows in secret: He'll make a bloody-looking gazpacho, one that might fool mom and dad into appreciating tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and cilantro. The gambit fails. But even if the rotting folks can't accept heaps of vegetables in their diet, they can learn to honor their son's dietary desires. That's an admirable message, but what really creeps up on readers is the Laceras' deep sense of fun. Gravestone puns are to be expected, but to sneak in a reference to Jonathan Saffron Gore hits all the right geek buttons, at least for the kind of parent who'd gravitate to a zombie-themed picture book. And while understated, the family's effortless use of occasional Spanish phrases ("arm-panadas"!) in a primarily English-speaking household feels true. The Spanish-language version (translated by Yanitzia Canetti) has its own specific jokes and reads just as smart and funny. The artwork throughout manages to make zombie-grown produce look appealing.

Tasty and homegrown, this hits a strange and specific trifecta: a lightly bilingual book that feels inclusive not only for Latinx kids, but also for different eaters and for those who aren't afraid of gory, monster-themed humor. (recipes) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews