About the Holiday

National Adoption Month was instituted in 1976 as a week-long celebration of adoption and raise awareness for the urgent need for adoptive families for children and youth in foster care. The holiday was expanded to include the entire month of November in 1995. This year’s theme is Youth Voices: Why Family Matters. This month gives adoptive families and families considering adoption a chance to talk about their experiences and find resources for this important type of family-building. To learn more, visit the American Adoptions website.

Moldilocks and the Three Scares: A Zombie Tale

Written by Lynne Marie | Illustrated by David Rodriguez Lorenzo

“In a big haunted house—with room enough for four, there lived three Scares: Papa Scare, Mama Scare, and Baby Scare.” One cold night Papa Scare prepared a midnight snack of “sliced finger sandwiches” and “Alpha-Bat Soup.” Mama Scare was working in her lab and wishing she had an assistant, while Baby Scare wished he had someone to play with. When the food was ready, Papa poured a tub of soup for himself, a medium-size bowl for Mama, and a tiny bowl for Baby. But the soup was so hot that they couldn’t eat it and decided to take a walk while the soup cooled.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-moldilocks-and-the-three-scares-soup

Image copyright David Rodriguez Lorenzo, 2019, text copyright Lynne Marie, 2019. Courtesy of Sterling Children’s Books.

Meanwhile, Moldilocks, a zombie, was sleepwalking through the graveyard when she smelled the aroma of the Alpha-Bat Soup. Finding the house empty, she climbed in the window and headed for the kitchen. Papa’s soup was too hot; Mama’s soup was too cold; but Baby’s soup was just right—so “she gulped it all up.” With a full belly, she went in search of somewhere to sit and found three chairs in front of the TV.

First, “she strapped into Papa’s chair,” but it was too hard. Mama’s chair was too soft. But Baby’s chair was just right—until it’s bony seat snapped. Moldilocks decided it was time for a nap anyway, so she looked for a place to sleep. Papa’s slab was too hard; Mama’s sarcophagus was too tight; but Baby’s bed was just right. “She buried herself under the sheets and fell asleep. Zzzzzz…”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-moldilocks-and-the-three-scares-mildilocks

Image copyright David Rodriguez Lorenzo, 2019, text copyright Lynne Marie, 2019. Courtesy of Sterling Children’s Books.

When the Scares came home, they immediately noticed that someone had been tasting their soup and that Baby Scare’s bowl was empty. Then they discovered that someone had broken all of their chairs—leaving Baby’s chair nothing but a pile of dust. Their ghost dog, Plasma, tracked Moldilocks to the bedroom, where the Scares learned that someone had been lying on Papa and Mama’s beds and found Moldilocks snoozing in Baby’s bed.

“‘How dare you…’” Papa bellowed to a quivering Moldilocks “‘…eat without us!’” Then Mama Scare hugged Moldilocks and told her she could be her lab assistant. And Baby Scare wondered if she’d like to play “Corpse and Robbers” with him and his “Deady Bear.” Mama Scare gave Moldilocks another squeeze and said, “‘A little ghoul is the perfect addition to our family!’” Moldilocks agreed, and they all “lived hauntingly every after.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-moldilocks-and-the-three-scares-soup-eaten

Image copyright David Rodriguez Lorenzo, 2019, text copyright Lynne Marie, 2019. Courtesy of Sterling Children’s Books.

Lynne Marie’s monstrously cute take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears offers up a tale of a family who would love to add another member to play, eat, and work with. When Moldilocks wanders into their empty house and makes herself at home, her discovery by Papa, Mama, and Baby answers all their “nightmares,” and they happily welcome her into their family. Full of spooky puns and funny allusions to monster culture, Marie’s storytelling will have kids howling with giggles. A gently suspenseful twist reveals the deeper layer to this fractured fairy tale—one of inclusion, belonging, and adoption.

David Rodriguez Lorenzo’s eerie and comic illustrations abound with bats, tombstones, spiderwebs, skulls, and bubbling cauldrons, and readers will love the spookily stylish décor of the Scare’s home. But the heart of the story lies in Lorenzo’s depictions of the monsters as a close family and Moldilocks as a little zombie looking for a place to call home.

Moldilocks and the Three Scares: A Zombie Tale is A frightfully fun addition to home, school, and library fractured fairy tale collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Sterling Children’s Books, 2019 | ISBN 978-1454930617

Discover more about Lynne Marie and her books on her website.

To learn more about David Rodriguez Lorenzo, his books, and his art on his website.