Official Review: The Unique Zoo Trip by Vannessa Nicholson
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- AvidBibliophile
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Official Review: The Unique Zoo Trip by Vannessa Nicholson
There is something comically relaxing about the thought of a sloth meditating while a pair of bespectacled llama brothers look on in giggling curiosity. Mice dance and snooze nonchalantly around the coiled rug of a yogi cat, and the two sloth characters, Dottie and Jimmie, proceed to eat pizza, play guitars, and snuggle their favorite polka dot pillows. Narcoleptic by nature, these relaxed sloths often get quite sleepy and can be seen taking cushiony naps on cloud puffs. The trees in this tale are decorated with multicolored confetti, and mindsets openly develop and change as the fun plot progresses. All of these scenes come to life in first-time author Vannessa Nicholson’s new children’s book, The Unique Zoo Trip.
Simple sentences feature straightforward terminology, and plenty of exclamation points keep the mood enthusiastically upbeat. The text appears in all caps in a playfully whimsical font. The entire book is spoken dialogue, so there are no instances of quotation marks additionally sprinkled throughout. Every page features a pleasingly bright color palette, and I loved seeing on-trend botanical prints and hip fashion accessories. Children will love seeing the printed headscarves and retro pairs of sunglasses as interspecies friendships blossom and develop.
What I enjoyed the most were the professional illustrations and the playful rhetoric. The phrasing “Boogie, baby! Boogie, yeah!” appears above the sloth couple as they dance, and one of the super cool llamas is seen wearing a pair of dark sunglasses as he simply says, “Sup.” There was no portion of the story that I disliked, but I do wish that the llama brothers had been given proper names as well. I might also mention that the chosen book title may not provide the most accurate indication of this book’s focus. Once the storyline begins, there’s never any actual mention of a zoo or illustrations that would seem to specifically indicate a zoo setting in particular.
At a length of just 24 pages, this is a quick read that would make a fun and relaxing bedtime story. I feel this book would be appropriate for all ethnicities and religions, and I’d happily recommend it for children ages 6 and up. It emphasizes the physical and mental health benefits of meditation and yoga, and it even works in a mellifluous mention of music and the sense of added relaxation a creative hobby can provide. From an editorial standpoint, the perceived grammatical errors were minimal; I only encountered four comma-related issues and one issue with a compound term.
Readers will see some realistically accurate sayings like “tired but inspired,” and the tale concludes with some applicable examples of specific yoga poses that are demonstrated through colored photographs of stretchy children. The pictures show young readers positions like WARRIOR II, SIDE PLANK, 3-LEGGED DOG, and PRAYER POSE.
I gladly award this book a 4 out of 4 stars rating. It uses cute animal illustrations to promote the importance of embracing all of your unique quirks, eccentricities, and differences. As you continue to face each day, may you do so with intentional grace. Peace be with you all and “ll-am-aste.”
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The Unique Zoo Trip
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This author did a wonderful job, and she was inspired to write this story after her own daughter was facing a lack of social acceptance and found herself struggling to fit in. This yoga-centric tale is upbeat, easy to follow, and colorfully whimsical throughout! Thank you for the kind words of encouraging support, and I hope many other future readers get to enjoy these meditating sloths and llamas too!RetiredOBNurse wrote: ↑23 Aug 2020, 00:02 What a colorful story this sounds to be! Not only in the pictures but in all the animals and the things they do and say! It sounds like a story any child would love to read and kudos to the author for this being her first book and with a four star rating! You paint such a vivid story through your words in this review and it was a pleasure to read. Thank you for your time and effort—outstanding!
- Doziesixtus
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Thank You for this concise, yet insightful review
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Charismatic animals are my very favorite kind of book characters! The story begins with a meditating sloth, and throughout the course of the book, the llamas become more open-minded and convinced to try meditation and yoga too. The other briefly featured activities simply show they live well-rounded lives, but overall, it’s a very relaxed and calm vibe.Doziesixtus wrote: ↑23 Aug 2020, 02:19 This book would be really interesting for children. With the charismatic animals and drawings. Nice review. I'd like to know, the book seems to have an energetic plot, would it be suitable as a bedtime story?
- AvidBibliophile
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Appreciate the kind words! The presentation of this one was quite delightful. Fun dialogue AND illustrations fill every page!
- AvidBibliophile
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Appreciate the supportive sentiment! I’d highly recommend this sweet little story of following your own unique path in life. The animals are quite wise.Honest-reviewer wrote: ↑23 Aug 2020, 10:02 This book seems really nice and interesting. I like reading children’s books. Thanks for your wonderful review!
- AvidBibliophile
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You can’t go wrong with sleepy (but flexible) sloths and quirky llamas wearing sunglasses! This first-time author did such a fabulous job creating a meaningfully whimsical storybook.Nelson Reviews wrote: ↑23 Aug 2020, 12:36 Well, this sounds so adventurous. I can't wait to flip the pages of this book. Thanks for the Review.
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Greatly support the sweet words of positive feedback! Thank you for stopping by.
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