The Lighting of the Tree at the V Zoo Party 2009

Good morning, Zebee here. Boy! Did we have a great tree lighting party! So many of my boss Joy’s author friends came it was amazing. Many of them brought along their characters too. Let’s see how many we can remember.

Elysabeth Eldering came. She brought along Matt, Guy and Mary Beth, her Junior Geography detectives. They were searching for clues for one of her books.

Lea Schizas was there. Bubba and Giganto were with her. They sure are nice boys and good soccer players. We had a game between the story characters and all of us here at the V Zoo. We lost, but we vowed to have a rematch next year and win. We need a coach. Any volunteers?

Oh, and Bill Kirk came and brought along Ari. We all watched were we stepped so we wouldn’t crush him. He’s really a cool spider.

When Vivian Zabel arrived with Buddy, some of the characters wanted him to teach them how to rope Prairie dogs. Since the closest thing we have to that here at the V Zoo are the meerkats, that just wouldn’t work. Instead he showed them how to rope a fence poll.

Che Dee was there with Odo, the time children, Mashu, Cassie and the Tulies.

Mary Jean Kelso brought along Andy and Spirit. Spirit is a beautiful horse and Andy is amazing the way he can ride.

Dayna Hilton and Sparkles came. Sparkles had us all on our knees again. This time even I could do it. I’ve been practicing.

Rachelle Burk was there with Kenny and Allison. We all wanted to hear about living in a tree house. I’d like to climb up in a tree house someday.

Rena Jones and Dilly came. So did Shari Lyle-Soffe along with Aaron and Horace. Mayra Calvani and Humberto read us some of Humberto’s favorite books. Hugo also showed up with Elizabeth Dulemba with soap for everyone.

I’m sure I forgot some of the authors and their characters. The place was packed and we had a fun time.

Who got to put the star on top of the tree this year? Billy. He climbed up Star’s neck and placed it, very carefully, on the top branch.
Got to go, I need to finish making my gifts. We are all making things for each other this year.

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

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.

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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.
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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

Book Review: A Horse of Course by Shari Lyle-Soffe

Good Thursday to all you book fans. Zebee here. Today’s story made all of us here at the V Zoo laugh when our boss Joy read it to us. It made us think what it would be like to live . . . Let’s see what Joy’s review says about the story.

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“A Horse of Course” is a fun romp through a child’s imagination of what it would be like to have a horse for a pet. It’s Aaron’s birthday and Grandpa Roy gives him a horse for a present. Aaron is very happy and decides to name him Horace. When asked where Horace will live, Aaron says “With me of course,” and so begins a wild and often messy adventure.

Shari has brought to life what it would be like to have a horse live with you as if they were a cat, dog or another child. The hilarious turn of events is sure to have any child laughing. Eugene Ruble’s illustrations are whimsical and give Horace his loveable personality.
* * * * *Where can you pick up your copy of this and other books by Shari Lyle-Soffe?
Guardian Angel

Most of us agreed, we’d like to visit someone’s home, but we really like living her at the V Zoo. So, can we come to YOUR house for a day or two?

See you back here Sunday with more zoo news.

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

Book Review: The Misadventures of Rooter & Snuffle by Shari Lyle-Soffe

It's Thursday and that means book review day. Hi there, Zebee here. We have the second book of Shari Lyle-Soffe for you today. Let's read the review and see what Rooter and Snuffle are up to in The Misadventures of Rooter & Snuffle. I'll talk to you after we read the review.

REVIEW BY HEIDI STRAWSER....
These little paperback books each contain 3 short stories. The suggested age range is 3 to 9.

Before I tell you about the books, I'd like to introduce you to the author:

Shari Lyle-Soffe has been writing since 1998. Her work has appeared in Children's Playmate, Babybug, Ladybug, Highlights for Children, Schooldays, Holidays & Seasonal Celebrations, Story Friend, The Friend, Hopscotch, Bread for God's Children, Pack-o-Fun, Wee Ones, Wild Animal Baby, Dragonfly Spirit, Holiday Crafts 4 Kids, Stories for Children,and Lighthouse Story Collection. She has three picture/storybooks with Guardian Angel Publishing Inc. titled "The Misadventures of Rooter and Snuffle","On the Go With Rooter and Snuffle", and "Trouble Finds Rooter and Snuffle".

And now, more about the Rooter & Snuffle books.

First in the series is The Misadventures of Rooter & Snuffle. This book follows the tales of two racoon brothers as they rely on their faith to see them through difficult, and sometimes dangerous, times. They learn to find the answers for themselves. And although these brothers may not always agree on everything, in the end they always care about each other. The three short stories in this book are: "The Search," "Rooter's Rule," and "Danger at River Bend." This particular title also includes a 4-part activity page for extra fun.

The second book is called On the Go with Rooter & Snuffle. In this book, the young brother raccoons find that others may not always see things the way they do. But when troubles and disagreements do arise, they are no match for a strong faith, the love of a brother, and the help of good friends. This one includes short stories entitled "Why Our School Stinks," "Follow a Star," and "Something is Fishy."

Third in the series is Trouble Finds Rooter & Snuffle. Once again the rascally raccoon brothers aren't looking for trouble but it finds them anyway. As they look for a way out of trouble, they learn true friendship isn't selfish, everyone is special, and we can all protect wildlife by caring for the environment where we live. The 3 short stories in this title are: "My True Friends," "The Pity Party," and "Yes We Can."
These books are really very sweet. The stories may center around raccoons, but they face many of the same challenges that our children face these days. At first, it often seems like they won't be able to get out of the fixes they find themselves in, but they always try to think about the Christian way to handle things, and they find themselves coming out on top!

These books are illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier. If you are familiar with the Summer Reading Splash program that I managed for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, then you might recognize our mascot, Splish the frog, that Kevin created for us. Kevin has written and/or illustrated over 70 books, and is well-known for his whimsical,colorful creations. Though these particular books are more heavy on words than illustrations, his additions are just enough to make the stories "pop" of the pages.

After reading the books, your children will enjoy visiting the author's coloring page website, where you can print out fun coloring pages (also drawn by Kevin and featuring the Rooter & Snuffle characters). Rooter & Snuffle also have their own website, where you can learn more about them and the whole cast of characters in the Rooter & Snuffle series, learn more about the author and illustrator, find where to purchase the books, read some reviews, and play some fun raccoon games.If these books sound like something your children would enjoy, be sure to keep a watch on Splish's blog, where I will be giving them away. (You can sign up to receive updates via e-mail, making it easy to keep track.)

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Boy, these books sound like something I'd like my boss Joy to read to us. I think I'll pop over to Guardian Angel Publishing and buy all three. Join me and then we can check out the Rooter and Snuffle website, the fun coloring pages and all the other links mentioned in this great review.

See you Sunday with more zoo news. Until then, READ!

Find out more about Shari and her books at the sites below.

FUN FOR THE KIDS

PREVIEW OF WIP

DIFFERENTLY-ABLED DEFINITELY CAPABLE

NEWS FROM THE ANGELS