The night that Voltoid rose again
the moon was waxing red.
The software wolves were howling,
loud enough to wake the dead.
Then came a scream. A muffled beep.
A whimper and a thud …
And sunrise found a robot
Lying screen-first in the mud.
This is the first verse of this incredible rhyming tale. As you can see there’s been a death among the robots and the townsfolk are worried.
‘Beware the Curse of Voltoid’ one voice roared!
Now, you’ll be pleased to know that the town’s policeman, PC Web, is on the job. He’s asking for a volunteer brave enough to go to the grim castle where Voltoid, Lord of Night, lives. When there’s silence, a ‘lowly cleaning droid from the village’, Gertie Gif, offers her services.
The townsfolk are very relieved and quickly send Gertie off with her little software-wolf companion to the vampire’s lair. But will she be able to clean out ‘the corrupted heart of the vampire’ and if she can’t, the curse of Voltoid will be there hanging over the town forever.
This is the most fabulous book to read. All in such clever verse with geeky computer speak and not a human in sight. It is a tale of adventure, bravery and compassion. And Graeme Base’s full-page drawings all in black and white draw you into his wonderful world of classic vampire mythology.
Reviewed by Merle Morcom
Age Guide 5+
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Graeme Base is one of the world’s leading creators of picture books. His madly detailed alphabet book Animalia received international acclaim when it was first published in 1986 and has now sold over three million copies. The book has also inspired an animated TV series, has its own app and is the first offering in a detailed digital education program called The Graeme Base Educational Suite.
Amongst numerous awards across many of his published works, Graeme has received the 2007 Speech Pathology Book of the Year (Younger Readers), the 2007 Wilderness Society Environment Award and the 1989 Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year.
Graeme lives in Melbourne with his wife Robyn and their three children.
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