Angela Sommer-Bodenburg is the author of several fantasy books for children. Her most famous contribution to the field of children's fantasy is The Little Vampire series which has sold over 10 million copies and has been translated into over thirty languages. Sommer-Bodenburg states that her "vampire is not a bloodthirsty monster, however, but an affectionate little vampire with fears and foibles who will perhaps help free children of their own fears." The novel, written in 1979, spawned a series of books, and the plot has been adapted to theater, radio, cinema, and television. A Canadian-German TV series was released in 1986 and a film version, directed by Uli Edel was released in 2000.