Vampire Baby

Bennett’s young narrator loves his younger sister, Tootie—until she grows a pair of fangs. After that, he’s shouting, “Youch, Tootie! No bite!” on a regular basis. His parents refuse to believe they’ve sired a vampire (“She’s hungry,” Mom says, explaining why Tootie won’t sleep at night. “And take off that garlic necklace!”), but after the boy tries to foist Tootie off on an actual vampire family, he discovers that he’s more protective than he realized. Meisel gives Tootie a pair of sharp-looking fangs, playing up her brother’s anxieties, while never quite answering the question, “Is she or isn’t she?” Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (July)