The Zooprise Party - review

Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa
Written by Rebekha Delgado
Illustrated by Joy Delgado
Translated by Julio Delgado
Published by Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
A division of J.O.Y. Publishing
ISBN 13: 978-0-9755454-1-6
Price: $11.95US

If there’s one genre I love to read it’s children’s stories. They remove any at-the-moment-stress and allow a reconnection to my childhood and fond memories. Zooprise Party was one of those cute books reminding me of emotions and disappointments I felt on my birthdays.

It’s Mori the okapi’s birthday and no one at the zoo has wished him a Happy Birthday. I won’t spoil the story but want to say that it’s not only about meeting Mori. Enter Lito the gerenuk, and Elvis the vulture (don’t you just love that name for a bird?), two conniving creatures who are planning something special for Mori. But, will it be enough to brighten Mori’s mood?

At the end of the book, the author places a detailed write up on the species gerenuk and vulture; quite interesting. Besides the entertaining read and illustrations, the educational value of reading and learning a second language added a special touch to the story.

To compliment the book, there are two other features available for purchase:

The Zooprise Party Activity Book, $4.95US, 24 pages loaded with fun things to do on a rainy day:

Coloring pages
Mazes
Connect the Dots
Crossword puzzles
Color by letter
Bookmarks and so much more. I have to admit the activities brought fond memories of mom and dad in the kitchen while I sat doing a puzzle as a youngster.

The Zooprise Party Teacher’s Guide and Key, $8.95US, is a 22 page valuable resource of information and activities for teachers to use as class projects. To be honest, I learned quite a bit about the okapi and gerenuk.

The Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa will delight and entertain children of all ages. A very simple, straightforward book with a message: friends stick together.

Lea Schizas