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Zips Goes Wandering
This is the first book of the series, Savannah Friends, and tells the story of Zips the Zebra and how, after being told by his mum about the dangers of walking off alone, decides to go on adventure by himself only to end up in trouble!
After getting chased by a hungry lion and crocodile it is down to Zips to find his way back home by asking his friends.
Zipping across the savannah from friend to friend Zips finally manages to find his way home and back to the safety with his mum.
Through rhyming and bright, exciting pictures Zips has proven exciting for many young children and their parents find it a useful tool to teach their kids about the dangers of wandering off alone and what to do if they get lost.
After getting chased by a hungry lion and crocodile it is down to Zips to find his way back home by asking his friends.
Zipping across the savannah from friend to friend Zips finally manages to find his way home and back to the safety with his mum.
Through rhyming and bright, exciting pictures Zips has proven exciting for many young children and their parents find it a useful tool to teach their kids about the dangers of wandering off alone and what to do if they get lost.
21 pages, ebook
First published November 28, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 31, 2014
Adorable and fun rhyming book! Perfect for kids who love animals and for parents who want a fun read-aloud.
Zips Goes Wandering is an adorable rhyming book about a zebra who wanders off and needs to find his way back home. While danger is presented, it's very mild so it doesn't scare the youngest children. It's got a message about not wandering off and if you get lost to ask for help. It opens up the subject for discussion and so you can remind your little ones to stay close. Because of the hungry lion, etc, you can also insert your own thoughts about strangers and how there can be danger. We need to remember that not every adult is safe, but asking a worker at a store, for example, is the best option.
This book is perfect for the youngest of children and older and is fun for the adult to read. It also works for those just learning to read because of the rhyming.
The illustrations are adorable with the close up of Zips nose being a unique and completely cute perspective. They are colorful and feature a variety of Savannah animals.
I recommend this one for babies up to 5 or so, though older children might have fun with it as well.
December 1, 2013
Zips goes wandering is a lovely little book for young children. He is an endearing little zebra and the tale is captivating for infants and has a moral - don't wander away from your parents! The illustrations by the author are excellent and anyone reading it, or being read to, should be enthralled with the story.
Hopefully there will be future zips stories.
Hopefully there will be future zips stories.
December 31, 2013
What happens when Zips goes wandering??? You will soon find out in this beautifully illustrated storybook. I plan to create an art lesson plan around this book for my Art Through Stories class because there is such richness in the story. It was one of those books that takes you on an adventure where you meet some great characters along the way. 4 stars
January 28, 2014
I loved this beautiful story with a special lesson about wandering away from your mother(mum). The illustrations were outstanding. The other animals Zip encountered were cute without being threatening. This is a story you will read over and over to your child.
March 26, 2014
Four and a half stars: A charming book for children with vibrant illustrations, rhyming dialogue and a message on the importance of not wandering off.
Zips the zebra is like any other youngster, curious and naive and eager to explore the big, wide world. One day, Zips leaves his mum and heads out on his own adventure, but Zips isn't aware that there is danger lurking nearby. Hungry lions and ferocious crocodiles with sharp teeth snap, snap, snap, wait hoping for a zebra snack. Once Zips escapes these hungry predators, he realizes his herd and mum are no where in sight. What is a zebra to do when he wanders from his herd and gets lost?
What I Liked:
*This is a delightful and charming tale with a cautionary message for young children. It warns that while it is fun to explore, it is best not to wander far away from the safety of parents as danger lurks, not to mention one might get lost. I loved the sweet, simple message and thought it was perfectly appropriate for young children.
*The bright, colorful illustrations are charming. They are vibrant and cute and should appeal to any young child.
*I liked that the story was told in rhyme and that there was lots of alliteration, especially when it comes to the names of animals, i.e. Zips the Zebra, Gerry the Giraffe, Hannah the Hippo, etc. I also liked the fun repetitive terms used to portray Zips hurrying home such as, "He runs, sprint, sprint sprint," or "He rushes, run, run, run," and "He hurries, quick, quick, quick." The author does an excellent job with the dialogue. Reading the repetition, alliteration and rhyming is soothing to young listeners.
*I appreciated that at the end of the adventure, Zips returns home and realizes that in the future it is best to explore with his mum. This book gives parents the chance to talk with their children on the importance of why they shouldn't wander off, and gently segue into the possible dangers that might ensue.
*I read this to my two children ages five and three and they both were interested in the colorful illustrations and writing. The book appealed to both of them.
*I am impressed that the author also did the illustrations. He is definitely one talented guy.
Zips Goes Wandering is a cute, sweet story with a great message for little ones. I have no hesitation recommending this to parents looking for a great book to read to their youngsters. I read hundreds of picture books with my kids, and in all honesty, this is one of the better ones we have read. I will certainly be reading the next book by this author which will tackle bullying.
I received a copy of this book from the tour promoter in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
August 3, 2016
This is a really cute picture book about a young zebra that gets lost and tries to find his way back to his family again. Zips learns the hard way that straying away from his parents presents danger and loneliness. He asks a bunch of different animals for help until one is able to point him in the direction of home.
The text is written in rhyme. Sometimes I love rhyme, and sometimes I don't. I didn't think the writing was flawless, but it was fun and my kids loved hearing me read it to them. There are some spots where lines don't flow perfectly, but for the most part, it was pretty good.
The illustrations are cute. My kids particularly like the way Zips is portrayed. Sometimes the edges were too soft and shapes got lost, and I would have liked to see a few hard edges to direct the eye. But the soft edges were only a minor distraction and I found the illustrations charming and engaging.
Overall: Definitely a win. It's a cute book with a great message that kids will enjoy. I'm looking forward to seeing more books from this author in the future (so are my kids!).
My blog: Batch of Books
The text is written in rhyme. Sometimes I love rhyme, and sometimes I don't. I didn't think the writing was flawless, but it was fun and my kids loved hearing me read it to them. There are some spots where lines don't flow perfectly, but for the most part, it was pretty good.
The illustrations are cute. My kids particularly like the way Zips is portrayed. Sometimes the edges were too soft and shapes got lost, and I would have liked to see a few hard edges to direct the eye. But the soft edges were only a minor distraction and I found the illustrations charming and engaging.
Overall: Definitely a win. It's a cute book with a great message that kids will enjoy. I'm looking forward to seeing more books from this author in the future (so are my kids!).
My blog: Batch of Books
March 13, 2014
Full review at http://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress...
I received a digital review copy as part of the Zips Goes Wandering Blog Tour.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Potential ambulant snack Zips narrowly avoids being eaten by predators and then uses his zebra wits to safely find his way home.
Zips Goes Wandering is the first book in the Savannah Friends series and is a bright and breezy take on the oft-told cautionary tale about not wandering off from your mum. The illustrations are fun and engaging and kids will love naming all the African animals that Zips encounters during his unsupervised walkabout. While the storyline is predictable, the flowing rhyme means that the message doesn't outweigh the fun in the story. The book ends with Zips safely returned to his herd and settled in for the night, so it would be a great pre-bedtime read to settle your little monkeys down before sleep.
I received a digital review copy as part of the Zips Goes Wandering Blog Tour.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Potential ambulant snack Zips narrowly avoids being eaten by predators and then uses his zebra wits to safely find his way home.
Zips Goes Wandering is the first book in the Savannah Friends series and is a bright and breezy take on the oft-told cautionary tale about not wandering off from your mum. The illustrations are fun and engaging and kids will love naming all the African animals that Zips encounters during his unsupervised walkabout. While the storyline is predictable, the flowing rhyme means that the message doesn't outweigh the fun in the story. The book ends with Zips safely returned to his herd and settled in for the night, so it would be a great pre-bedtime read to settle your little monkeys down before sleep.
March 22, 2014
While reading Zips Goes Wandering, my son and I had fun talking about the animals on the savanna. The simple rhyme found on each page was bouncy; the action words made it fun to repeat and even act out. For some reason I had a hard time saying the name "Zips" with some of the sentences. I wish he was named "Zip" instead! Still, the story is easy for children to relate to -- after all, what child hasn't tried to wander off at some point? The animal characters make this topic a safe yet important discussion to have with your child. The highlight of this book was the illustrations. Zips Goes Wandering has adorable pictures that my son loved. Also, the pictures made it easy for him to "read" the story as we predicted what would happen on each page. Overall, Zips Goes Wandering is a good choice for a read aloud with kids!
I received this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.
I received this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews