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

Getting Ready For This Year's Tree Lighting Ceremony

Good morning to you all. Zebee here. To get you in the mood for Christmas this year, this is a picture of the central plaza in Caguas, Puerto Rico last year. Is'nt that one of the prettiest trees you've ever seen?

Okay, as some of you might remember, last year at our tree lighting ceremony we had a few mishaps. Don't remember? You can read about it here. So, to avoid the same problems, my boss Joy has taken a few precautions.

To place the star on the top of the tree, this year we are drawing out of a hat. The paper that has a star on it will get the honors. Next will be a paper with a Christmas tree light on it. That animal will get to turn on the lights. This will avoid the two biggest problems from last year.

Who's on the guest list this year? All of our boss Joy's wiriter friends and a few of the characters from their books. I think it's going to be lots of fun. We've all heard the stories and m=now we're going to get to meet everybody.

It will be a big party this year. Do you want to come? Just drop me a comment and I'll put in a good word for your invitation to my boss Joy.

I hope to see you there. Oh, it's next Tuesday.

See you back here Thursday with another great book to read.

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

Zoo News Sunday: Christmas at the Zoo

Good chilly morning to all, Zebee here. My boss Joy says that Florida is cold, or at least colder than she remembered for this time of year. She's bundled up and, well, that's not why I'm here.

Today I'm going to share 5 zoos that are going all out for this holiday season. If one of these is near you, please make sure you stop by. If not, send me a comment about your zoo and I'll highlight it another Sunday.

Okay, here we go!

Riverbanks Zoo in Colombia South Carolina has a beautiful lights display. Check out their video all about it.

Santa's Magical Enchanted Grotto at the Colchester Zoo is not to be missed. Read all about it and watch the video.

Christmas at the Zoo over at the Indianapolis Zoo is a real treat! Don't forget something for the Mitten tree!

In the Brooklyn area, pop into the Wild Holiday Party at the Prospect Park Zoo. Check out the schedule and be there when your favorite animal opens their gifts.

Zoo Lights are spectacular at the Oregon Zoo. It's chilly there, so be sure to bundle up!


I guess that's it for this week. I just love this time of year, don't you? All the glitter, the lights, the presents, the candy, the . . .

See you back here Tuesday!

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