When I was a child, my favorite book was... because....

Good morning everyone, Zebee and the gang here today. We, rather our boss Joy, decided to participate in the “Great Books Blog Tour” this week.

Each day has a different topic of discussion about books. Today’s is “When I was a child, my favorite book was... because....” Several of the animals at the V Zoo wanted to share, so here they are.

* * * * *
Mori the okapi: That’s easy. My favorite is “Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa” because it’s about all of us celebrating my birthday.

Lito the gerenuk: I like “Rainbow Sheep” by Kim Chatel. I think that girl Genevieve is pretty cool.

Elvis the king vulture: I like the stories my mother used to tell me about visiting with the Mayan gods. You know, in ancient times we were the messengers to the gods. Maybe some of us still are…Of the stories our boss Joy has read my favorite one was “There’s a Spider in My Sink!” by Bill Kirk. I liked all the factoids he had in the book. I learned a lot about spiders.

Honey the giraffe: I like “Little Man in the Map” by E. Andrew Martonyi. I learned a lot about the USA and the pictures were great.

Star the giraffe: “Maybe We Are Flamingos” by Sue Thurman. I just thought the babies were cute.

Boris the bear: I like Shari Lyle-Soffe’s book “Nothing Stops Noah.” I like the way he got all the animals back in their cages.

Ringo the bongo: Mine are the ones by Donna Shepherd about Topsy Turvy Land. I really like Dotty.

Fred the peacock: I like Margot Finke’s book, “Rattlesnake Jam.” She’s so funny.

Jabari the leopard: Mine is Lea Schizas book, “Bubba and Giganto.” I can identify with Bubba.

Okay, so there you have them. As for mine, well, there are just so many books to choose from, but I’d have to say “Frankie the Walk and Roll Dog” by Barbara Techel. That Frankie sure has spunk.
* * * * *

posted by Zebee aka Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Fun ways to help children learn
Books Go Beyond Reading

The lighting of the Christmas tree at the ‘V Zoo’

Boy! Did we have a great Christmas lighting party. Everyone came. Margot Finke was here as were Donna Shepherd, Jennifer Gladen, Kevin Collier, Barbara Techel, Kim Chatel, Sue Thurman, Shari Lyel-Soffe, Dianne Sagan and Lanaia Lee. My boss Joy got us a beautiful tree and along with all her friends and zookeepers, they decorated the tree.

But, as this is a zoo, animals do unpredictable things. First Billy got into the act. He wanted to put the star on top of the tree. Well, Star thought she should, after all it is her name. Star had it in her mouth ready to place it when Billy climbed up her neck, grabbed it and took off. He almost knocked the tree down in the process. It took Jabira to stop him. Ever since Billy woke him up that night by jumping on him in his exhibit, Billy’s been afraid he’ll do something to him. So, when he approached Billy, Billy dropped the star and slinked away back to his mother.
When that was all settled, then Fred and Elvis started arguing about who should turn on the lights. Well, I guess you could say it was a total ZOO!

Thanks for all who came and for those who read and follow our, um, my blog.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! See you Sunday with more zoo news from around the world. I’m taking Christmas day off.

Book review: Dotty in Topsy Turvy Land by Donna Shepherd

Reading level: Ages 2-6
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Coming soon to Guardian Angel Publishing
ISBN-10: 0981453260
ISBN-13: 978-0981453262
Wow! Have we got a neat book to share with you today. Hi everyone, Zebee here.

This is another rhyming book by Donna Shepherd called Dotty in Topsy Turvy Land. Our boss Joy read it to us and we just loved it! Here’s what some of the ‘V Zoo’ animals had to say:

Mori: I know how Dotty felt. But now all my friends her at the ‘V Zoo’ have shown me how much them care by throwing me the best surprise party ever.

Billy: I’d play with Dotty. I don’t care that she’s pink. I think it’s kinda cool.

Lito: Being different isn’t a bad thing. Look at us gerenuks. We stand on our hind legs to eat leaves. None of the other antelopes do that. Being different makes you unique and that’s a good thing. Can you imagine if we were al the same? Who would we tell who was who?

Lox: Everyone should read this book. It teaches us how looking different isn’t a bad thing, just different. Really no big deal.
Star: The story was great, but I really liked the illustrations! The animals are so cute and the colors, well, they are fantastic.

Samba: And the rhyme, it’s perfect. Thanks Donna for writing such a fun story.

Well, I guess the animals here at the ‘V Zoo’ really liked your book Donna. I think your Topsy Turvy land is a great place. I’d like to go visit there some day.
Okay all you people Bloggerville. Now’s your chance to check out the book and all the fun things Donna has at her web site for Dotty.

To buy the book these are the places to go:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

For the fun stuff check out these sites:
Dotty Blog
Topsy Turvy Land
Donna's website

Well, another great book has been shared here. Come back Sunday and travel to the world zoos with me. See you then.

Book Review: Topsy Turvy Land by Donna Shepherd

Welcome back all you out there in Bloggerville. Quick update about my boss Joy and Hurricane Omar. She and her husband got the boat all ready for 50 MPH winds and went to the hotel at the marina. Nothing happened! The hurricane moved further east and it didn’t even rain! She did get some great pictures of the storm as it passed to the south, but that’s for another day. . .

Okay, today we have a really cute rhyming story to share with you. Donna Shepherd wrote this cute story, well, lets’ get on with the reviews.

"He made the giraffe with his very long neck,
And the toucan with gigantic beak,
God must have had fun,
Creating each one,
And all in just under a week!"

--
TOPSY TURVY LAND
Hidden Pictures Publishing
by Donna J. Shepherd
Illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier
(Hidden Pictures by Liz Ball)
ISBN-13: 978-0967815961
Format: Paperback, 16pp
Publisher:
P.O. Box 63
Tipp City, OH 45371

Come visit a place of peace and whimsy where green monkeys and singing snakes live. Children will delight in the lyrical rhymes and vibrant illustrations while searching for the hidden hearts. Full of fun from beginning to end!

Author's reflections:
"In precarious times such as ours, many children imagine a world where they can orchestrate their surroundings. When the real world turns topsy-turvy, they can visit a place called Topsy Turvy Land - a place of peace and whimsy, with the understanding that, while only God can create, it's so much fun to imagine!"

Reviews:
A perfect read for young children...a world full of bright hearts, where it isn’t difficult to find God’s love. -- CARIBOOKS Reviews with Care -- Gianfranco Cazzaro

Topsy Turvy Land is a pure delight! The short rhyming sentences hold the attention of both young and old. -- The Dabbling Mum -- Alyice Edrich

An Invitation for Imagination
What if you could create your own world? How would it be? Topsy Turvy Land lets children imagine what a different world might be like if they created it. It's fun and a bit crazy to see green chimpanzees and zebras with yellow-green spots! Yet this book is a wonderful reminder that pretending is fun but God, the ultimate Creator knew exactly what He was doing when He created Earth. Children will love the invitation to imagine while laughing at the fun and brightly colored illustrations.

A fun book to read with pictures to match
Donna Shepherd and Kevin Collier partnered to create a delightful world of color and rhyme that will make children giggle. I bought this wonderful book for my granddaughter's birthday. I can't wait to give it to her. The rhyme is fun and the message is an important one. We should all appreciate the world God created for us. By Sharon Lyle-Soffe

Let your imagination fly away!
This book sounded so interesting, we wanted it read to us at the ‘V Zoo’. Donna very kindly gave my boss Joy an ebook copy so she could read it to us. This is such a beautiful story. The pictures that Kevin drew go perfectly with the story. I found all the hidden hearts first, even though Star said that she did. There even was a zebra in it, but I like having stripes instead of spots. I’d like to go visit Topsy Turvy Land, want to come along?

* * * * * * * * * *
We might not be able to go to Topsy Turvy Land, but we can pop over to one of the web sites that sells it and pick up a copy.

You can get an autographed copy at Hidden Pictue Puzzles. Or, you can go to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

You can also visit Topsy Turvy Land http://www.topsyturvyland.com This is a cool web site with lots of coloring pages and more.

You can also visit Topsy Turvy Land This is a cool web site with lots of coloring pages and more.

Book Review: No More Gunk by Donna Shepherd

Good morning everyone, Zebee here. Another one of my boss Joy’s friends is visiting with one of her books. Donna Shepherd wrote No More Gunk and brought it to share today. Let’s learn about it together.

* * * * *NO MORE GUNK and OUCH SUNBURN by Donna Shepherd
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Kevin Scott Collier

PUBLISHED BY: Guardian Angel Publishing (Health & Hygiene Children's Book)

DOUBLE DOOZIE – TWO BOOKS IN ONE!

ISBN: PRINT: Double Doozie: 13-978-1-933090-91-8

E-book: NO MORE GUNK: 13-978-1-933090-91-7

E-book: OUCH! SUNBURN: 13-978-1-933090-60-3

READING LEVEL: Ages 3 on up

Here are what Reviewers have to say:
Humorous, rhyming prose with funny artwork gets a high five, especially when coupled with a second free book! - Gayle Jacobson-Huset, Assistant Editor -- Stories for Children Magazine

A Valuable Mixture of FUN and Practical - Some books for children from ages 4 to 8 are just fun to read--over and over. NO MORE GUNK combines fun with practical. Parents are able to help their children understand the value of consistently brushing their teeth and removing gunk. The snappy rhymes combine with vivid illustrations from Kevin Collier and the combination is irresistible. While not evident on the front cover, you get two books for the price of one with this title. OUCH SUNBURN! teaches the danger from the sun and how small children can protect themselves. Simple thoughtful words combine with terrific artwork. If you have small children, this book could become a read aloud favorite. - Terry Whalin, Agent, Editor, Writer

* * * * *
My boss Joy and Donna read the book to all of us here at the ‘V Zoo’. After hearing them, I’m glad I’m a zebra! How would I hold a toothbrush? The vets come by once a year and check my teeth. They must be perfect because all they ever do is look at them. And as for sunburn, can you imagine a zebra with a sunburn? I’m glad I have a nice fur coat to protect me since I spend most of my days in the sun.
Donna’s book is funny and I’m sure when mom’s and dad’s read it to their children they all laugh. It’s a good way to teach such important lessons.
Thanks for sharing Donna.

* * * * *Now, here are a bunch of links to cool stuff connected to this book. Go check them out!
Book Trailer – really cute!
Buy the book here: Amazon
No More Gunk blog coloring pages
Ouch Sunburn blog more coloring pages
I’m running over here to get the coloring pages. Maybe my boss Joy will let me paint. I’ve seen Lox the elephant paint. How hard can it be?

Donna’s website learn more about Donna and her other books.

Guardian Angel Publishing This is her publisher.

* * * * *

Well, that’s all for today. I’m going to hide in my boss Joy’s car so I can go to the TV studio with her and watch the taping this afternoon. I’ll tell you all about it on Tuesday.