Review of Zoey's Way Home
Posted: 24 Jan 2024, 13:33
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Zoey's Way Home" by Richard J Jelinek.]
Recently, Zoey the zebra has been having problems with her siblings and, with time, has come to feel that her family no longer loves her. One day, while out with the rest of the family, she falls into a deep sleep, and upon waking up, she can't find her family. She has to look for them. As she embarks on this mission, she crosses paths with several species of animals, each of which offers to allow her to stay with them. However, Zoey can't feel at home with any of them. She has to look for her family, for the kind where she belongs and feels at home. Can she ever be reunited with her family again?
This is a carefully woven story. I was thrilled by the gripping narrative and couldn't wait to turn the next page as I followed Zoey's encounters with the elephants, a wildebeest, deer, giraffes, hippos, and a baboon. Zoey's refusal to settle with any of the animals she met while searching for her family not only shows her tenacity in actualizing her goal but also a deep respect and appreciation for the species she comes from. Her polite refusals teach children to appreciate other people's identities, even as they protect their own.
I found most remarkable the enlightenment and new level of awareness that Zoey experienced as she sought to reunite with her family. Children will learn a very important lesson from this. The story is short, which is good for children's literature, and is exceptionally crafted with simple sentences and bits of suspense. I found only one grammatical error in the book, a pointer to the seriousness put into getting the work grammatically flawless.
Zoey's character appeared realistic to me. There are so many people, including children and adults, who have her kind of mindset. I did appreciate that she was given the opportunity to develop and expand her worldview. "Zoey's Way Home," written by Richard J Jelinek, deserves 5 out of 5 stars for the lessons it teaches, its fascinating storyline, and great illustrations. I didn't dislike anything in the book and found no reason to lower the rating.
I recommend this story to every child. They will find the storyline and illustrations interesting and will have the opportunity to see the areas in their lives that need to be fixed so they can make objective, helpful judgments and choices.
******
Zoey's Way Home
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Recently, Zoey the zebra has been having problems with her siblings and, with time, has come to feel that her family no longer loves her. One day, while out with the rest of the family, she falls into a deep sleep, and upon waking up, she can't find her family. She has to look for them. As she embarks on this mission, she crosses paths with several species of animals, each of which offers to allow her to stay with them. However, Zoey can't feel at home with any of them. She has to look for her family, for the kind where she belongs and feels at home. Can she ever be reunited with her family again?
This is a carefully woven story. I was thrilled by the gripping narrative and couldn't wait to turn the next page as I followed Zoey's encounters with the elephants, a wildebeest, deer, giraffes, hippos, and a baboon. Zoey's refusal to settle with any of the animals she met while searching for her family not only shows her tenacity in actualizing her goal but also a deep respect and appreciation for the species she comes from. Her polite refusals teach children to appreciate other people's identities, even as they protect their own.
I found most remarkable the enlightenment and new level of awareness that Zoey experienced as she sought to reunite with her family. Children will learn a very important lesson from this. The story is short, which is good for children's literature, and is exceptionally crafted with simple sentences and bits of suspense. I found only one grammatical error in the book, a pointer to the seriousness put into getting the work grammatically flawless.
Zoey's character appeared realistic to me. There are so many people, including children and adults, who have her kind of mindset. I did appreciate that she was given the opportunity to develop and expand her worldview. "Zoey's Way Home," written by Richard J Jelinek, deserves 5 out of 5 stars for the lessons it teaches, its fascinating storyline, and great illustrations. I didn't dislike anything in the book and found no reason to lower the rating.
I recommend this story to every child. They will find the storyline and illustrations interesting and will have the opportunity to see the areas in their lives that need to be fixed so they can make objective, helpful judgments and choices.
******
Zoey's Way Home
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon