Review of Of Zots and Xoodles

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Of Zots and Xoodles" by Zarqnon the Embarrassed.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Of Zots and Xoodles
Author: J.W. McLaughlin, or Zarqnon the Embarrassed.
Illustrations: Frank Louis Allen.

Reading this book is like a 'thought reset'. It's a chance to enter a thought process created by Theodil. After initial confusion, the story makes sense: it's like an abstract painting, which, through its images, relates to actualities. It's an interesting, thought-provoking read for adults and a storybook for children. It does make sense; you simply have to read each word. Theodil creates a 'Universe' with his Zots and Xoodles, Paradigms and Filaments, in a commentary on the 'Big-Bang Theory', the beginning of the Universe. He rolls a dice, and the congregation see the dots. This is ironic as it's traditionally the very religious who do not see science as the beginning of our world, so the word 'congregation' is clever. These dots are like spots of water that can expand and elongate with some jiggling around, as he does. They spark as they touch, which is energy. The child, who occasionally speaks, has more wisdom than the audience. The book could also be a commentary about society: As the various structures contort and repel, he states, "Is the opponent always the enemy? How will the pieces progress unless adversity weaves the coat." Perhaps this means 'how will society be at peace (a play on the word 'pieces') unless everyone works together.

The illustrations are simple, and in their simplicity, we can see what the artist is trying to convey. The black-and-white drawings towards the end are all we need to understand the book. I would have enjoyed some colour, as this would have livened up what is quite a dry and colourless book, and this would have drawn in the eye, especially for children.

It was a tad too abstract for my taste, and I sometimes found the Zots and Xoodles aspect confusing. I would not pick this out on a shelf due to its monotonous grey colour.

'Of Zots and Xoodles' was a clever, well-edited book, but I will give it a 4 out of 5 star rating for the above reasons.

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Of Zots and Xoodles
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[Jennifer Coxon]

Thank you for your insightful review. I’ve seen the title many times but have always shied away from reading it. I think your classification as abstract sums it up as to what has been putting me off.