Valensteins (a love story)

Ethan Long

Book - 2017

On a cold, dark night perfect for scaring, Fran is making a valentine, causing other members of Fright Club to howl and hiss over the idea of being in love.

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j394.2618/Long
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Subjects
Genres
Romance fiction
Picture books
Published
New York : Bloomsbury 2017.
Language
English
Main Author
Ethan Long (author)
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 25 x 29 cm
ISBN
9781619634336
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

The monsters and animals from 2015's Fright Club are back, and one of them, Fran K. Stein, has love on his mind. "Hmm. Pink paper... Scissors... Glue... Are you making a mask?" guesses vampire Vladimir, turning two pink hearts into oversize fangs. "It looks like a paper butt!" the resident ghost chimes in. A lesson in what love means follows, leaving the creatures thoroughly disgusted-mushy feelings and the possibility of "kissing someone on the lips" terrify this crowd. There are lots of laughs to be found in Long's twilit cartoons and the banter among the characters, including the response of the recipient of Fran's valentine ("Tee-hee! It looks like a paper butt"). Long strikes a neat balance, recognizing how awkward Valentine's Day can be for kids and how exciting those same feelings can be. Ages 3-6. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-This delightful follow-up to Long's Fright Club gives readers a glimpse into the heart of Fran (Frankenstein). When his friends catch him making a valentine, at first they can't figure out what he is doing. Vlad and the others' interpretations of what the pink heart represents are quite funny. Vlad thinks that the heart is a pair of fangs, the witch thinks it's a bat, the mummy thinks it's a nose, and the ghost thinks it's a paper butt. Bunny is the only one who recognizes the heart for what it is, and when she announces it to the others, shock and horror ensue. A hilarious discussion of what exactly love is and how it is expressed occurs. Bunny explains that a kiss on the lips is the ultimate expression of love. Vlad and the others, except Fran, decry the yuckiness of it all. Fran leaves once he can no longer take the ridiculous behavior of his friends and meets up with the source of all the fuss. Then he remembers what love really is. With perfect insight into a child's view of romance, this humorous book will undoubtedly resonate with young and old. VERDICT A brilliant combination of scary Halloween creatures and Valentine's Day sweetness. A first purchase that does double holiday storytime duty.-Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

Rather than practicing scaring sounds with his ghoulish buddies from Fright Club, Fran K. Stein cuts out pink heart shapes, and his grossed-out friends, via speech-bubble dialogue, wonder why. Eventually, the adorable, digitally colored graphite-pencil illustrations reveal Fran stargazing with his (Bride of Frankensteinlooking) sweetheart as he reflects on the true definition of love. Long's latest is unique, surprisingly thoughtful storytime fare for Valentine's Day. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.