Zonk, the Dreaming Tortoise

David Hoobler came to my son's school and gave a presentation about his art and books. My 5-year old son was absolutely mesmerized by the story of Zonk and asked to order the book. Well, it's been four months now and the Zonk book is still a first pick for bedtime reading. My son was especially drawn to the character of the Cactus Spirit; so much so, that we ordered a print for his bedroom. "Zonk, the Dreaming Turtle" is beautifully illustrated, well-written, and teaches the power of imagination. I highly recommend it!

My sister-in-law gave this book to me as a gift for my three-year-old son. She was familiar with his artwork and her daughters were fans of his books as well. This book is a the story of Zonk the eponymous desert tortoise who dreams of swimming in the ocean. On his trek to find the ocean he encounters a number of fellow desert creatures and eats some native plants for food. A mighty monsoon comes, and before he knows it Zonk swept away down a river and out to the ocean. The book explains in joyful, innocent way that the youngest child can comprehend how desert creatures survive as well as how monsoon patterns form. My son was so captivated by the story that he wanted to write a letter to Zonk. I explained to him that Zonk was just a make-believe character, but we could write to David Hoobler, the author of the book. So he dictated a letter to me and we sent it off. Much to my son's pleasure, he received a hand-written card from Hoobler himself! It's a pleasure to support an artist like David Hoobler who apparently has great passion for his craft.