Zoopa: An Animal Alphabet

"Zoopa!" by Gianna Marino is that rare, engaging treat: the wordless picture book. But don't think that means there isn't a story! Her gorgeous illustrations speak louder than any words in this delightfully delicious first book. The action centers around a bowl of alphabet soup. As each letter is added, an animal appears whose name starts with that letter. At first, it is easy enough to spot the animal, but as the table gets more and more crowded, the difficulty level increases. Kids will love finding the animal and this book, like a game of "Where's Waldo," will increase their observational skills. Not content for a mere add-an-animal scenario, Marino gives various groups of animals their own story line: why does the grasshopper have running shoes on? To escape the hungry ostrich. Why does the chipmunk bring angler's gear? To catch that goldfish in his soupy home. And the climax (the letter "z" of course) is truly hilarious. I can't wait for the second course from this truly talented author.

I just cannot help but look at ZOOPA over and over again. It works on so many levels. First off, it is visually stunning. Gianna Marino is a very gifted artist and renders the animals in a realistic yet humorous manner. She is also very creative about the manner in which the animals appear on the page: some walk off the pattern on the plate or napkin, others slither, hop, jump or crawl in. And some just pop up from the soup. The animals seem to jump off the page without making the pages confusing or cluttered. Secondly, trying to find the animal that goes with each letter is so much fun and becomes increasingly challenging as the book progresses. The younger ones will enjoy the first few pages, while slightly older kids will get into the latter somewhat more difficult pages. And for those of us who like to cheat, there's always the back where they are listed. Kids get excited when playing this game and try to race each other to find the animal. Thirdly, it teaches kids the alphabet. Who knew the alphabet could be so much messy, disorganized fun? I cannot wait for Gianna's next book (a counting book perhaps?). But in the meantime, I will just grab ZOOPA one more time to see if I can finally name all the animals in one go.

Zoopa is an amazingly illustrated book that not only keeps my 3 year old engaged, but also my 10-month-old. As each new letter is introduced, we love "searching" for the animal that matches it. Just a beautiful book.

While undoubtedly not Hemingway's cup of soup, his famous "Moveable Feast" title fits this dynamic children's book. Gianna Marino, a new writer from northern California, grabs the readers attention from page one and holds you in her masterly grasp from the simple beginning to the explosive cornucopian conclusion. Her first children's book is an astonishing achievement, easily one of the best of the year. It's enjoyable on many levels: A picture book with a plot, an educational "ABC" learning piece, a showcase of illustrative and creative ingenuity, and a "Where's Waldo" searching volume all in one(without the frustration and limited mind-opening qualities of the former). ("Zoopa," by the way, is a clever pun on the Italian "Zuppa"--soup; author Marino has an Italian background). It begins simply, with an ant wandering across a gingham tablecloth towards a bowl of tangy tomato soup. (How do I know it's "tangy?" Because Marino draws and uses color so well that it LOOKS tangy!) As the Ant approaches from one side, a Butterfly zooms down from the other, and the letters A (for ant) and B (for butterfly) appear in the soup. As more animals appear, the soup becomes increasingly alphabetized, with previously used letters receding in to the background, and new letters heralding the approach of, for example, Dogs scampering across the bottom of the tablecloth; a Frog zipping his tongue at the "F" looming large in the bowl; a decorative rim of Elephants suddenly appearing on the rim of the soup bowl, one of them knocking a big blue "K" into it; and even a Jellyfish, acting as a parachute, dropping the letter "J" to join its alphabet colleagues. Throughout the book, there are stories within stories, as the alphabet-representing animals interact with each other at the increasingly crowded bowl of soup--it's the soupy equivalent of the Marx Brothers' "Stateroom Scene." The frog and ant play in an ongoing "cat and mouse" game, the dogs and elephants cavort amongst themselves, and the hedgehog decides to take a few laps in the soup! Ms. Marino introduces the animals and their corresponding letters very creatively. Along with the jellyfish-parachuted "J," a unicorn (U), magically appears on the soup spoon, a bunch of cute pigs (P) come to life on the napkin, and the ultimate Zebra (Z) comes bursting--all excitement and piZZaZZ--out of the center of the bowl! Some of the animals are difficult to find, which is a lot of the fun for both kids and adults. Moreover, some of them are a bit obscure. I was hoping there might be some information about the animals' identity at the back of the book. My hopes were answered: Ms. Marino wisely has a legend that identifies the Quail, the Nanny Goat, the difficult-to-find Jellyfish, and the regrettably obscure (for Xenops fans) bird, the Xenops. (This is one book where "xylophone" will NOT do as the "X" word!). Although the little scene is FULL of animals by the end of the alphabet, Marino introduces new ones no m

Marino has illustrated a delightful alphabet of creatures, her images brimming with energy and humor, all so beautifully rendered, that I would highly recommend it for any lucky child, not to mention adults who collect wonderful children's illustrations. There's nothing like a nice big bowl of Zoopa on a lazy afternoon. This fabulous book offers a visual treat on each page, starting with a bowl of alphabet soup unlike any you have ever imagined. The adventure begins with an ant on the front endpapers, all the way to the zany zebra on the final page, this enthusiastic and creative assortment of animals a delightful mix of fancy and imagination. Hearty and heartwarming, this is a mad menagerie guaranteed to delight and engage young readers. Each page features a double spread, with a blue gingham tablecloth and yellow placemat with red trim, a rich, red bowl of soup centered on the placemat, the highlighted letters introducing a sprinkling of creatures; for example, for E and F, a frog near the bowl, which suddenly sports a rim circled with tiny blue elephants; I and J add an iguana and jellyfish, as page after page fills up with an amazing display of beasties. By the time the reader gets to W, X and Y, the pages are bursting with quirky species, a jungle of joys. For a book that starts out so quietly, the ending is positively raucous. This is one recipe you'll be glad to share. Luan Gaines/2005.