{"id":42064,"date":"2023-02-13T22:34:21","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T03:34:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=42064"},"modified":"2023-02-13T22:34:21","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T03:34:21","slug":"review-of-zero-zebras-by-bruce-goldstone-illustrated-by-julien-chung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=42064","title":{"rendered":"Review of Zero Zebras, by Bruce Goldstone, illustrated by Julien Chung"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Zero Zebras<\/p>\n

A Counting Book about What’s Not There<\/em><\/p>\n

by Bruce Goldstone
\nillustrated by Julien Chung<\/p>\n

Orchard Books (Scholastic), 2022. 36 pages.
\nReview written January 8, 2023, from my own copy.
\nStarred Review
\n2022 Sonderbooks Stand-out<\/a>: #6 Silly Fun Picture Books<\/p>\n

I love this book in so many ways! In fact, many more than zero ways!<\/p>\n

Here’s how the book begins:<\/p>\n

I see one wallaby . . .
\n. . . and zero zebras.<\/p>\n

Two tuna splish
\nand splash
\nand splosh . . .
\n. . . with zero zebras.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You get the idea!<\/p>\n

As things progress with various jazzy animals, there’s wordplay and visual play:<\/p>\n

Ten tigers tiptoe —
\nthat’s how many.<\/p>\n

What about zebras?
\nThere aren’t any.<\/p>\n

Eleven llamas
\nlike to spit.<\/p>\n

It’s zero zebras
\nthat they hit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But the fun really begins after we pass twelve turtles on the page.<\/p>\n

What’s next? What’s here?
\nWhat do you see
\nperching in this tree?
\nWhy, look at that!
\nBy now you’ve guessed.
\nZero zebras — obviously.<\/p>\n

But that’s not all that isn’t here!
\nDo you see zero eagles?
\nYou’ll find them next to zero pigs
\nand zero barking beagles.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then we’ve got two more spreads with rhymes about all the things pictured that they are zero of.<\/p>\n

The finishing thought is this:<\/p>\n

So when you want to count a lot,
\ndon’t count what’s there. Count what’s not.<\/p>\n

Try counting zeroes with your friends.
\nThe list of zeroes never ends!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The final pages have thoughts from the author about zero and infinity.<\/p>\n

So there you have it. A delightfully silly picture book that invites play and imagination and all kinds of fun — while getting kids thinking about the important mathematical concept of zero.<\/p>\n

I did quote a lot of this book, but please let that invite you to see it for yourself, because a picture book is always best with the words and pictures together.<\/p>\n

brucegoldstone.com<\/a>
\nscholastic.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/zero_zebras.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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