Since this is Christmas Eve I figured I’d thrown in a similarly-themed post. I was re-arranging my books on my shelf tonight removing the ones I’d read to put into a box until I can get more shelves, and I came across this one. I read “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies!” at the start of December but hadn’t thought to place it in my blog yet.
This book is a true gut-buster. Some of the carols are somewhat of a stretch, such as “We Three Spleens”, but otherwise a great book. Other carols such as “Snacking Around the Christmas Tree” are quite singable.
I absolutely love the illustrations ! Their most chilling quality is their first-glance resemblance to normal holiday art. Generic holiday scenes are replaced with melting faces and gaping maws. There is one illustration in particular that I have to pass by because it’s a little too much for me to take. It’s opposite the carol, “Here We Come A-Garroting” and it features a zombie surprising Santa on the rooftop. The look on the creature’s face gives me the chills ! It’s filled with a hunger and glee rarely seen in the vacant faces I’ve become accustomed to seeing in zombie artwork.
Of course, I’m writing this review in the relative dark of my house and I’m paging through it again before bed, which is probably the worst thing I can do with regards to a peaceful sleep. My overall impression is that “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies!” should be kept mostly for adults. Even at my age I find the pictures are disturbing (in a good kind of way) and the rhymes are very gory (as they should be). In short, this book may do for children and Christmas what Chucky did for dolls. Even the age-old idea of getting a puppy for Christmas is warped, in that a zombie child receives a zombie puppy. Go figure. All in all a great book to have handy for the holidays !
