Book Review: Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster by Mayra Calvani

Good morning book fans. Zebee and the whole gang here. It’s book review Thursday at the V Zoo, and you know what that means. Right! We have another great book to share with you today. Let’s get right to it. Here’s my boss Joy’s review.

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Humberto loves to read. He read all the time no matter what he was doing. He could eat, brush his teeth, cook and go for a walk and read at the same time. He even listened to audio books while he slept.

The only time he couldn’t read was when he exercised on his wheel. Then he’d think about the books he’d read and become a part of the story.
Humberto was very busy reading. He had no time for his friends. He wanted to read all the good books ever written. His neighbors would invite him to play, but Humberto always had a book he had to read.

Then one day it rained. It rained so hard that the river overflowed and flooded all the animals’ homes. What happened to ‘Humberto’s books? What happened to all the animals’ homes? How did Humberto help his neighbors?

“Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster” sparks the imagination and natural curiosity of a child. Mayra has captured the essence of a true bookworm in Humberto. She’s given children an introduction into the wonderful world of books that can last a lifetime and the meaning of true friendship.

Kit Grady’s illustrations are charming. They pull you into Humberto’s world and show you the wonder of the many books he’s read as well as his animal friends.

* * * * * Okay, so there you have it. I couldn’t have said it better myself. How about a trip to your local library or bookstore now. What book are you going to pick up? I’m running over to Guardian Angel Publishing to get my copy of “Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster” and then I’m going to browse the rest of the great books there. Care to join me?

Maybe I can ‘talk’ our boss Joy into taking all the animals here at the V Zoo on a field trip to the local library. Wouldn’t that be fun? I can just see it. Billy would be swinging from the lights . . .

Got to go. See you back here Sunday for 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

What’s going on over at Books go Beyond Reading

Good morning. Zebee here. Okay, today my boss Joy wants me to share her blog with you. She started a blog of her own last month. It’s called Books go Beyond Reading. What does that mean? This is what Joy says about it:

“Here we will explore together books that go beyond reading. What exactly does this mean? Books that show children in fun and subtle ways interesting and new (to them) facts. Books that go beyond being just a story. Books that, well, teach.Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let the exploration begin . . .”

So, hop over and check it out. She’s got lots of cool ideas you can use. She loves to here what her readers think, so drop her a comment. Have a nifty idea you’ve used? Share it, she gives full credit and a link to your blog or website too.

See you Thursday with another great book review.

Getting to know Lanaia Lee at the ‘V Zoo’

Good morning everyone. Zebee here. Today we have Lanaia Lee visiting us again. Hi Lanaia!

Hi Zebee and everyone out there in Bloggerville. I like that, sounds cool.

Z: Thanks. Today I wanted to talk a bit about you so our readers can get to know you better. Okay?

L: Sounds great. What do you want to know?

Z: Let’s see, why don’t we start with pets. Do you have any?

L: Oh yes, I have a three month old cocker spaniel, named D. J., named for my husband, David. D. J. stands for David Junior. I recently had a seven year old Jack Russell Terrier named Jack. Jack was diabetic and died May 19th, so my husband got me D. J. for my anniversary.

Z: I’m so sorry for your loss. D.J. sounds like he’ll be a great new pet. Okay, when you think back on your childhood, what one memory pops out first?

L: I have two. First, my most precious memory I have is from 1964, when my mom took me to the World's Fair in New York City. This is a very precious memory because in 1965 she died, and I was only eight.
Second, When I was five, my grandmother took me to the grocery store, she yelled " Fire", them ran leaving me in the grocery aisle, all by myself, when everyone came running and all they saw was me. My grandmother was in the adjacent aisle laughing.

Z: I’m glad you got that time with your mom. Your grandmother sounds like my kind of woman. Can you tell us a bit about yourself. What makes you you?

L: Back in 1992 I had a stroke that had me in recovery and rehab for years. I now spend my days in a wheelchair. I’ve prevailed by focusing my energies towards what I call a gift from God, my writing. I also met my husband in rehab. He’s in a wheelchair too. He got in an accident on a motorcycle while serving in the military. We compliment each other – David cheers while I type with one hand.

Z: Wow! What an inspiring story. Sounds like you have a great husband. Now, lots of people write. Why do you write?

L: I write mainly because it is a passion, also having no children, I always wanted to leave a part of myself behind, I couldn't do it through my children, but I can through my writing.

Z: What would you like our, uh, my readers to know about you?

L: I would like everyone to know, I am just a person like everyone else, even though I travel on wheels instead of legs. I am a very strong woman that has survived a lot. Give my writing a chance, read it and just like everyone that reads it, they say they are hooked. I hope my books, and the story of my life, there will be something for everyone. And thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I hope I gave you some in sight into Lanaia Lee and Of Atlantis.


Z: Thanks again Lanaia for stopping by. I look forward to sharing your book “OF Atlantis” with my readers on Thursday.

Thanks Zebee. If any of them want a sneak peek, they can go to either my web site(sign my guest book please) or my blog

See you all Thursday.