A Zeal of Zebras
Chronicle Books/Raincoast Books
age 3-5, 5-8, 8-12
by Woop (Woop is a short for Miraphora Mina, Eduardo Lima, Harriet Logan, and Mark Faulkner who founded Woop Studios Limited in 2010.)
64 pages
Synopsis from Raincoast Books:
An embarrassment of pandas, a galaxy of starfish, a shiver of sharks…these are all collective nouns used to describe their groups. Woop Studios, acclaimed for their work on the Harry Potter movies, has illustrated these quirky phrases, creating a series of extraordinarily beautiful art that has been collected here for the first time. The colorful introduction to animals and the alphabet is accessible for young children, while the gorgeous, whimsical art and clever wordplay make it perfect for design-savvy parents and inspired gift givers. Longer than the standard picture book, with high design and production values, this is a volume readers will want on their coffee tables in addition to their child’s bookshelf.
When you think of alphabet books you think of early concept books for preschoolers. A Zeal of Zebras isn’t such a book. Although this book does go through the letters of the alphabet, they’re more as a guide for the order of the pages. Each fantastically illustrated page shares a collective noun in reference to animal groups: a hum of bees, a nest of crocodiles, a venom of spiders. The illustrations show the collection of animals with the letter for the collective noun worked in. The opposite page offers a description of the collective noun.
A Zeal of Zebras appeals to young kids with it’s obvious alphabetical order, as well as animal collections. Older kids and adults will love learning the collective nouns and more about the animals. The illustrations and long format of the book make it lovely to just flip through. There aren’t many children’s books that are both entertaining and educational, even for the parents.
You can find a copy of A Zeal of Zebras by visiting your local book store or visiting Raincoast Books. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations. What are you reading with your kids?
I have to thank Crystal at Raincoast Books for my review copy.