It's Okay to be a Zombie -- an Un-Children's Book

by Nathaniel Lambert, Danny Evarts (Illustrator)

Sure, zombies are pretty scary. They stink. They want to eat your brains. They're terrible house guests. Who says zombies can't be fun, too? Don't they look kind of silly falling down and bumping into things? Sometimes they can even be cute. So, before you run away screaming for your lives, stop and appreciate the beauty of the undead. And remember, It's Okay to be a Zombie.

Genres: Zombies, Humor, Horror

28 pages, Hardcover

First published May 28, 2010

About the author

All work and no play makes Nate a dull boy
All work and no play makes Nate a dull boy
All work and no play makes Nate a dull boy
All work and no play makes Nate a dull bog

Reviews

[David Barbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, zombies. Like vampires before them, they’re marching happily into the mainstream. This means many different things, but it also means that zombies, once the darkest and most gruesome of horror monsters, can now be used in children’s books. “It’s Okay to be a Zombie” is a children’s book featuring zombies, and it’s pretty darn cool. It’s written in a simple style and the art is colorful and vibrant. It’s cute, it’s funny, it’s colorful, and it’ll teach your kid about the zombie apocalypse. Admittedly, I don’t have kids, but this is no more harmful than a children’s book about vampires (which we have plenty of these days). Wouldn’t you rather your child be exposed to the zombie genre in a child-friendly way rather than letting them watch “Dawn of the Dead” right off the bat?

[Daniel Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anomaly of a book! How the hell am I going to review it?

It's Okay to be a Zombie: An Unchildren's Book is a hard one to place. Lambert has crafted something which is more self-help than traditional story, as he gives reasons why being a zombie isn't so bad. It's a very happy and joyous little book this one.

Age range? Hmm. This actually sparked a bit of debate and discussion here in Manji Towers. Is it suitable for young kids? There's bludgeoning to death, brain eating and arms falling off...but it's all cartoony. There are worst things (the example I used was in Ben 10, in an episode were Ben chops off the hand of a possessed old man) and personally, I think kids TV presenters and music videos aimed at kids (Cyrus, for example) are a lot more worrying. This is a book of cartoons, but then I guess it's up to parents and what they allow their children to be 'exposed' to.

Both my 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter love it. My daughter now believes that zombies aren't scary at all (not like she's watched Dawn of the Dead or anything, but my son plays 'zombies' in the playground. I think she was a little afraid of the idea alone).

So I think that kids will enjoy it. For adults, it's a bit of a novelty book. It looks great, and the illustrator Danny Evarts has really stolen the show here. The artwork has it's own unique feel that captures Lambert's words perfectly. Already the artwork is on clothing etc, and I can only see this growing with the book's popularity.

While not the longest or most grown up of books (it's 20 something pages long) I'm proud to have this on my shelf. It's an oddity, but a feel good, eye-catching oddity I can share with the kids.

[Sherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read this book, I lost it laughing. It really is the perfect humorous horror book. While it is labeled as an Unchildren's book, I decided to read it to my 3 children who are 9 months, 4 years and 6 years. My daughter, who is 4, turn around and said it was quite silly and that she really enjoyed the book. It then resulted in a lengthy 40 minute discussion about the book and zombies in particular. She also stated that zombies aren't scary anymore (her brother played a game called zombies at school and she was quite scared by the game) For me, it was quite funny to discuss a book in such detail with a child so young, but it was enjoyable. (My favourite quote from her during the discussion: Mum, it is okay to be a zombie in a book, but not in real life, cause you will stink.)

My 6 year old son took the book to school to share it with his class. While the teacher wasn't able to read all of the book to the children (it had to be censored), they all enjoyed discussing the artwork and story as a class and it was thoroughly enjoyed.

I found this book to be a very refreshing read. I won't say that this book is for everyone, but those who love horror will find it quite enjoyable to read. It shows zombies in a whole new and interesting light that you can't find anywhere else.

A very unique book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys zombies and horror.

[Jason Golomb · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It's Okay to be a Zombie" is subtitled "An Unchildren's Book". Which means, and let's make no mistake, that's it's not for children, at least not little ones.

My 6-year-old and I hunkered down to read what appeared to be a cute and childish spin on Zombies. My son, after all, wrote a story in his first grade class this year called "Zombie's are Coming" (to be fair, I don't believe he spelled any of the words as I have them in quotes). "It's Okay" went as expected initially: crudely and cutely drawn little zombies happily falling into pools of government super-sludge.

Then things get very unchildren-y at about page 11 when the zombie's arm "finally succumbs to necrosis and falls off." On page 12, the zombie uses that arm to "bludgeon someone to death."

Yeah...not so good for the 6-year-old.

My 10 and 13-year-olds thought it was kind of funny and cute. But keep in mind this is a picture book.

If you're into dark humor then you and your older children would enjoy this feel-good story of being a zombie, right before sharing "Dawn of the Dead" on demand.

However keep this away from the little dudes.

I received this as part of the Goodreads First Reads program.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was first approached about this book, my immediate instinct was to run and hide under my bed. You see, I'm not a huge fan of zombies. They tend to freak me out and invade my dreams. In general, as a rule, I stay away from things that have zombies in them. As in most cases there are exceptions to every rule and It's Okay To Be A Zombie is one of them. I found this book to be cleverly written and hugely entertaining. Nathaniel Lambert gives the reader reasons why it's not your fault that your a dead, decaying corpse still walking around. Why you should embrace your new life as the walking dead. As a non-zombie lover I enjoyed this book. The illustrations in it are great too. They are very colorful and fun to look at. This book is marketed as a Unchildren's book. It's great for teenagers and adults. However I think it would be okay to read to children depending on the child. The pictures aren't too graphic but they do show things like body parts falling off. Just remember this is zombie book so use your own discretion. If you love zombies or know someone that does, I think this would be a great book to add to your collection or to give to the zombie lover in your life.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so no.... you probably won't read this to your four year old. That's why it says "an UNchildren's book"....

But anyway... this is a cute zombie book for adults and for horror-inclined kids who are maybe 10 and up.

The artwork is colorful and eye-catching. A lot of similar books for kids have pretty crappy art (I know this because my two year old has tons of books) so this one was a breath of fresh air.

It's worth picking up if you like horror/zombie stuff with a sense of humor. If you are going to raise your kids to like horror like I am, you'll probably want to pick this one up eventually.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's cute. I'll give it that. And funny at times. The main reason I didn't give it more stars is simply this: it wasn't *enough*. "Goodnight Forest Moon" is an explicit parody. "Go the F*** to Sleep" is surprisingly touching and funny and honest in a way that we rarely are.

And this is a clever joke, make no mistake. Cute illustrations, and cute writing.

Did you catch that "joke" was singular? Because it's one note, and played for all it's worth... and it's just a tish too much cowbell.

[Christopher Obert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This “Unchildren’s” book is a funny satire of a normal children’s book. The zombie illustrations are cute but not cuddly; the text is easy to read but not pleasing. Everything a zombie book should be. All kidding aside, the book is for adults and is not intended for children under 13. I found it entertaining and humorous. The book would be a great gift for any zombie lover. I look forward to a possible follow up book “It’s Okay to be a Vampire!”

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book for all ages. I wish I read it as a child.

I know there is a huge debate about age range. All I have to say about that is have you ever read any German Fairy tale in its original form? This is mild in comparison and not anything your child isn't exposed to in everyday life.

Of course, I don't have children, so that is easy for me to say.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple yet amazing not-so-children's book about being a zombie. You could almost equate this to being a tale of how okay it is to be different - if you were someone who looks for the moral I every story. And since I am not one of those, it's just a glorious tale of how to live in the apocalypse after the zombies take over the world. And the pictures are pretty awesome too!

[Freda Mans-Labianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little humorous look at being a zombie, an adult book in childhood storybook mode.
Clever and creative, I really enjoyed the book, and found myself laughing along.
Definitely good for a laugh, or a conversation piece.

[MarcyKate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious! probably too old for my 6 year old nephew, but definitely the sort of thing to give older kids a chuckle.

[Cate Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mad brilliance.