The Little Vampire (book series) facts for kids
 |
|
| Author | Angela Sommer-Bodenburg |
|---|---|
| Original title | Der kleine Vampir |
| Illustrator | Amelie Glienke |
| Cover artist | Amelie Glienke |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
| Genre | Fantasy Novel, Children literature |
| Publisher | Rowohlt Verlag |
|
Publication date
|
1979 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| ISBN | 3499202166 |
The Little Vampire (German: Der kleine Vampir) is a popular series of fantasy books for children. Angela Sommer-Bodenburg created these stories in 1979. The main idea of the books is about the special friendship between a human boy named Anton and a vampire boy named Rüdiger. Angela Sommer-Bodenburg first thought of this idea in 1976. She wrote short stories about their adventures, which later became this famous book series.
Contents
What Is The Little Vampire About?
The main character is Anton Bohnsack, a normal 9-year-old boy. Anton loves reading scary stories, especially about vampires. One day, he meets a real vampire named Rüdiger. Rüdiger belongs to a vampire family called the Schlottersteins. They live in the local cemetery.
Anton slowly becomes friends with Rüdiger's younger sister, Anna, and his older brother, Lumpi. Anton often goes on exciting night trips with Rüdiger and Anna. He has to keep his friendship with the vampires a secret. He hides from his own parents and from Geiermeier, the cemetery caretaker. Geiermeier really dislikes vampires.
Who Are the Main Characters?
Anton Bohnsack: The Human Friend
Anton is 9 years old and in the 3rd grade. He enjoys reading horror stories, especially those about vampires. When he gets involved with the vampire world, he tries hard to help his new friends, Rüdiger and Anna. He also helps their family. Anton protects them from dangers, including his own parents and especially Geiermeier.
Rüdiger: The Vampire Boy
Rüdiger is the second youngest in the Schlotterstein vampire family. He became a vampire when he was 11. Rüdiger mostly thinks about himself, but he is always there for his friends. He shows Anton what the vampire world is like. He tries to meet Anton as often as he can. Rüdiger looks up to his older brother, Lumpi. He and his sister Anna sometimes have typical sibling disagreements.
Anna von Schlotterstein: The Youngest Vampire
Anna is the youngest of the Schlotterstein children. She became a vampire when she was 9. Rüdiger soon introduced Anna to Anton, and they became close friends. Anna and Anton even develop a small crush on each other. However, being human and vampire makes a serious relationship impossible.
Anna was first called "Anna the Toothless" because she didn't want to be a true vampire. She drank milk instead of blood. Later, she accepts her vampire nature, but she still cares deeply for Anton. At the end of the series, she is chosen to lead the German vampires.
Who Else Is in the Schlotterstein Family?
Lumpi the Strong
Lumpi is Rüdiger and Anna's older brother. He calls himself the strongest in his family. He can be moody and easily upset because he became a vampire during puberty. Even though he sometimes scares Anton, they usually get along well. Lumpi keeps his and his siblings' friendship with Anton a secret from the adult vampires.
Aunt Dorothee von Schlotterstein-Seifenschwein
Aunt Dorothee is Rüdiger and Anna's aunt. People say she is the most bloodthirsty vampire in the family. However, she does seem to care for the children more than other adults. Anton has had some close calls with her. After her husband Theodor was killed by Geiermeier, she looked for a new partner. She eventually marries Mr. Schwanenhals, Anton's dance teacher, in the last book.
Uncle Theodor von Seifenschwein
Uncle Theodor is Rüdiger and Anna's uncle. Before the books begin, Geiermeier caught him playing cards on his tombstone and killed him. This made the Schlottersteins move their coffins into a secret underground crypt. Theodor's coffin stays in the crypt, hiding a secret escape route. Rüdiger and Anna often lend Anton Theodor's vampire cloak for his night adventures.
Other Schlotterstein Family Members
- Sabine the Terrible: She is the oldest female vampire in the Schlotterstein family. She is Rüdiger, Anna, and Lumpi's grandmother.
- Wilhelm the Rakish: He is Sabine's husband and Rüdiger and Anna's grandfather.
- Ludwig the Horrible and Hildegard the Thirsty: These two vampires are Sabine the Terrible's son and daughter-in-law. They are Rüdiger, Anna, and Lumpi's parents. Ludwig cares a lot for his wife. Hildegard is often focused on herself and sometimes ignores her children.
Who Are the Humans in the Story?
Anton's Parents
Anton's parents are Robert Anton Bohnsack and his wife Helga. Robert works for a shipping company and likes to joke around. Helga is a schoolteacher who can be a bit temperamental. They are often big challenges for Anton's new life with vampires. At first, they don't believe Anton's new friends are vampires. They just think their clothes are strange.
Later, Anna is accidentally photographed, but she doesn't appear in the picture. After this, Anton's parents start to take the idea of vampires more seriously. However, they still don't fully believe vampires exist. Mr. Bohnsack was named after his own father, just like Anton was named after him.
Hans-Heinrich Geiermeier: The Vampire Hunter
Geiermeier is the caretaker of the old cemetery. He sees himself as the enemy of the Schlotterstein vampires. After he accidentally killed Uncle Theodor, Geiermeier started his own war against vampires. Anton often has to step in to help his vampire friends. Geiermeier eats garlic regularly and carries wooden stakes on his night patrols to fight vampires.
Wolf-Rüdiger Schnuppermaul: Geiermeier's Assistant
Wolf-Rüdiger Schnuppermaul is a gardener from Stuttgart. He was hired to help Geiermeier hunt vampires. Unlike Geiermeier, Schnuppermaul is not very smart and is less obsessed. He also loves cleanliness very much, which makes him a funny character. He accidentally becomes friends with Lumpi. Even after he finds out Lumpi is a vampire, they remain friends at the end of the series.
Dr. Jürgen Schwartenfeger: The Psychologist
Dr. Schwartenfeger is a psychologist. Anton's parents first send Anton to him to help him stop being so interested in vampires. But it turns out that Dr. Schwartenfeger has a program to help vampires overcome their fear of sunlight. He thinks it's a mind problem, not a body problem. Rüdiger eventually becomes one of his patients.
Igno von Rant: The Fake Vampire
Igno von Rant first appears as a patient in Dr. Schwartenfeger's program. He seems like a vampire, but von Rant (whose name sounds like "ignorant") is actually a university professor named August Piepenschnurz. He is secretly working with Geiermeier. He tries to charm Aunt Dorothee and gain the trust of the Schlotterstein children. Anton discovers his trick and exposes him.
Other Vampires You Might Meet
Olga, Fräulein von Seifenschwein
Olga is Rüdiger and Anna's cousin from their uncle's side. She is a spoiled, tricky, and very proud girl. She ran away from Transylvania to Germany after vampire hunters destroyed her family. She seeks safety with her aunt's family. Rüdiger quickly becomes interested in her, but she is more interested in Anton. In the last book, she tries to make Anton her friend forever by biting him. Rüdiger then realizes he doesn't like her anymore and breaks up with her to help Anton.
Count Dracula
The famous vampire, Count Dracula, appears several times in the series. He is the leader of all vampires in the world. He even becomes a teacher for the Schlotterstein children, but he doesn't succeed in his task.
Elisabeth the Sweet-Toothed
Elisabeth is the leader of the German vampires. At the end of the series, she chooses Anna von Schlotterstein to be her successor.
Jörg the Irascible and Waldi the Malignant
These two young vampires are Lumpi's best friends. They are members of his Vampire Men's Club and Vampire Men's Music Association. They often organize fun events like bowling tournaments or nail treatment competitions.
English Editions of The Little Vampire Books
- My Friend the Vampire (also The Little Vampire) ISBN: 0671554212
- The Little Vampire Moves In ISBN: 1842705962
- The Little Vampire Takes a Trip ISBN: 0862640849
- The Little Vampire on the Farm ISBN: 0590556002
- The Little Vampire in Love ISBN: 0590556010
- The Little Vampire In Danger ISBN: 0750004088
- The Little Vampire in the Vale of Doom ISBN: 075000410X
- The Little Vampire in Despair ISBN: 0750004126
- The Little Vampire and the Mystery Patient ISBN: 0750011866
- The Little Vampire in the Lion's Den ISBN: 0750013699
- The Little Vampire Learns to Be Brave ISBN: 0750013729
- The Little Vampire Gets a Surprise ISBN: 0750014067
- The Little Vampire and the Wicked Plot ISBN: 0750014075
- The Little Vampire And The School Trip ISBN: 0750015381
- The Little Vampire And The Christmas Surprise ISBN: 0750015403
- The Little Vampire Meets Count Dracula ISBN: 075001542X
How The Little Vampire Stories Were Adapted
The popular book series has been turned into TV shows and movies.
TV Series
- The Little Vampire: This was a German-Canadian TV series. Gert Fröbe played Detective Gurrmeyer (Geiermeier). The original language was English.
- Der kleine Vampir – Neue Abenteuer ("The Little Vampire - New Adventures"): This was a German TV series with 13 episodes. It was based on the third and fourth books in the series. These books were The Little Vampire Takes a Trip and The Little Vampire on the Farm.
Films
- The Little Vampire: This movie was made by German, Dutch, and American filmmakers. The story's setting was changed from Germany to Scotland.
- The Little Vampire 3D: This is a 2017 3D movie. Richard Claus and Karsten Kiilerich directed it. Jim Carter and Alice Krige played their roles from the 2000 film again.
See also
In Spanish: El pequeño vampiro (saga) para niños
