- Picture Books
- Ages 3–6
- Comedy
Colin's Castle
Part of Colin'sView the full series
Part of the Colin universeOpen the collection
A very funny picture book about a vegetarian vampire whose perfect castle comes with one unbearable duck. It has a strong read-aloud comic setup, expressive art and a nice acceptance-of-others payoff.
- Best for3–6
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Onomatopoeic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Irreverent
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Colin is a vegetarian vampire, and he has finally found his dream castle. Everything is exactly as he hoped: spooky, grand, and all his. There is just one problem. The castle already has a duck. Duck appears when Colin is relaxing, when he is watching television, when he is in the bath, and even when he is on the loo. Colin is desperate to get rid of this quacking nuisance, but Duck is not easily removed. Holly Swain turns a classic unwanted-housemate setup into a bright, silly, highly visual read-aloud. The vampire premise gives the book a Halloween-friendly flavour, but the actual story is low-scare and warm-hearted: two very different characters slowly learn how to share a home.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–6
- Read aloud · 3–6
- Independent · 5–7
Prose load
Light
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny read aloud
- Halloween but not scary
- Comic duo
- Vampire story
- Award recognised picture book
Avoid if
- Wants sincere feelings book
- Prefers no vampire imagery
- Needs very quiet bedtime
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
- Anxiety and worry
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A warm, funny picture-book series — a lovely read-aloud about friendship, family and accepting others.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the quacking duck — Colin the vegetarian vampire moving into his perfect castle and discovering he's not alone. A duck appears in the bath, on the loo, on the TV. The picture book about sharing space with someone who won't go away.
- Breaking the rules safely
- Friendship and belonging
- Cosy safety
- Having a secret base
Why parents love it
The picture book for sharing — vegetarian vampire and unwanted duck, the unwilling-flatmate setup played as low-scare comedy. Useful for a child reluctantly sharing a room or space with anyone. Holly Swain's bright art carries it.
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
- Quick to read
- Conversation starter
In the series
Colin's.
3 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Holly Swain.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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