Zazoo

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Zazoo Pub. Date: 10/28/2001 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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Zazoo (Other - Unabridged) Pub. Date: 6/1/2004 Publisher: Random House Audio Publishing Group

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Overview

Zazoo is Vietnamese by birth but feels entirely French. She has lived with her adoptive Grand-Pierre in France in an old stone mill between the river and the canal since she was two, sharing poetry, adventures, and the predictable rhythms of the seasons. Then one misty October morning, a young man on a bicycle rides into Zazoo’s small village and asks a question from which many stories begin to unfold. A love story within a love story.

Amid old secrets revealed and rifts healed, a thirteen-year-old Vietnamese orphan raised in rural France by her aging "Grand-Pierre" learns about life, death, and love.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

The quiet banks of a French canal, where this book is set, perfectly matches the reflective quality of Mosher's (The Taxi Navigator) resonant prose. With exquisite tenderness, the author explores the revelations of a Vietnamese-born girl raised by her adoptive grandfather, Grand-Pierre. A chance meeting with a mysterious Parisian boy sets 13-year-old Zazoo on a course to excavate secrets from the "Awful time," when Nazis invaded France. The horrors over a half-century ago echo the disturbing changes Zazoo now experiences, like the chronic ache in her chest and Grand-Pierre's failing health. Metaphors from nature the deceptively calm river, a "sad gray cat" from long ago and an ancient owl symbolize connections between past and present and emphasize the dull pain of longing still lingering with Grand-Pierre and other villagers. Despite the novel's somber undertones, there is a promise of rebirth as love, compassion and forgiveness help heal old wounds. The author's intelligent yet accessible wordplay on French vocabulary also leavens the narrative. Readers will be swept away by the evocative images and emotive scenes in this story, offering a mix of bitter and sweet. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Set on a French canal, this novel stars a Vietnamese-born girl who excavates secrets from when the Nazis invaded France. "Readers will be swept away by the evocative images and emotive scenes in this story, offering a mix of bitter and sweet," wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 13-up. (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

More Reviews (7) Fewer Reviews

From The Critics

Almost 14 years old, Zazoo is really "French on the inside" and "Vietnamese on the outside." Adopted by an older WWII French war hero, after a land mine killed her natural parents, Zazoo has never questioned anything about her life with her new father, Grand Pierre. She knows that her father fought in WWII, but not in Vietnam. Suddenly, a strange boy riding a bicycle into her village one morning asks a question that causes her to change her views of the people she's known all her life. As Zazoo struggles to reconcile the actions of her friends and family during WWII, the Vietnam War, and their life now, she reveals three love stories at differing stages, one of them her very own. Woven in and around the story is the healing property of nature and art. Zazoo and Grand Pierre's shared affinity for water and poetry pulls them together to form a tight and loving bond that enables her to cope with her father's eventual advancing age and memory loss. This book's tender strength rests in how the author, Richard Mosher, manages to take seemingly unconnected incidents and interweave them into one meaningful and beautiful whole. As Zazoo discovers, the past is never over; it simply informs and colors the present and the future. Genre: Vietnam War/Family Relationships 2001, Clarion Books, 256 pp., $16.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Mariana Van Meter; Scottsdale, Arizona

From The Critics

Zazoo tells the story of a thirteen-year-old girl on the brink of womanhood who questions not only her past, but also the history surrounding her adoptive grandfather, the village pharmacist who loathes him, and a boy on a bike whose one question about the pharmacist becomes the catalyst that unearths the connections between them all. After her Vietnamese parents were killed by a land mine, the two-year-old Zazoo was brought to a small French village by her adoptive grandfather, Grand-Pierre. She and Grand-Pierre live in an old stone mill between a canal and a river and have a loving relationship filled with shared poetry and companionable outings. Raised next to water, Zazoo finds solace in swimming swiftly through the reeds and rushes. It is during one of her early morning swims she meets Marius, a strange boy on a bike, who asks about Monsieur Klein, the village pharmacist. Zazoo, who is on friendly terms with the old man, agrees to investigate without revealing the boy. The two delight in each other's differences—he, calm and quiet unlike most other boys and she, an independent water goddess with lovely dark eyes. And as gentle as the water that flows down the river, so does their burgeoning long-distance relationship develop, consisting of poetic messages scrawled on stiff postcards. Once Zazoo asks Monsieur Klein about his past, one question leads to another. Slowly, the mysteries of war, love, and loss are unraveled. To her surprise, Zazoo discovers that Monsieur Klein and her grandfather have been locked in a forty-eight-year-old grudge. And just as she learned the way of water, Zazoo dives and resurfaces into their pasts and present, learning when to hold back and when to keepasking. With her persistence, love, and compassion, as well as the exciting story of Marius's connection to Monsieur Klein, Zazoo brings old enemies together and helps heal deep wounds. Zazoo, written by Richard Mosher, is incredibly poignant. For all its provincial charm, it addresses very real issues of adoption, World War II and the Vietnam war, love affairs, misunderstandings, the stubborness and sorrow of old men, and the sometimes difficult experience of a Vietnamese French girl searching for her place in the world. The novel is also gorgeously written. Mosher paints Zazoo's world with a gentle beauty and sprinkles it with poetry. But what truly distinguishes this novel from others is its emphasis on dialogue. Mosher allows the characters to tell their stories with quiet dignity, patterned on the rhythms of French. Their interactions are loving and graceful, even in the hardest of conversations, and what they say shows their true hearts. Mosher has created an intimate world in Zazoo. Even the way the book is designed—with chapters starting on either side of the page, almost like a journal—aids in the feeling of diving deeper and deeper into a well of secrets that need to be told before it's too late. It's impossible to put down Zazoo and walk away untouched because the story lines whisper like the murmur of water. This is the kind of book to be read again and again because of the many jewels tucked between its pages. Although Zazoo is a very real story of human pain, it is also a story of hope, healing, and reconciliation. 2001, Clarion Books, 224 pages, Coughlin

Children's Literature

Zazoo is a Vietnamese orphan who is being raised in France by her adoptive grandfather, known to Zazoo and the townspeople as Grand-Pierre. Zazoo, rescued from Vietnam at age two and now on the cusp of womanhood, has had an apparently idyllic childhood with Grand-Pierre. But her happiness is now threatened by Grand-Pierre's growing senility, her growing loss of innocence and the slowly emerging truths about Grand-Pierre's and her own past. Part love story and part wartime horror story, this novel, told in first person by Zazoo, is a compelling read. Zazoo is a fascinating, multi-dimensional character who is equally disquieted by her changing physique and the town's wartime secrets and tragedies that have been lurking just below the surface of her awareness. More reflective than action-packed, this book will appeal to readers who are ready to take life's bitter with its sweet. 2001, Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Judy Katsh

KLIATT

A Vietnamese girl, named Zazoo by her adopted grandfather when he brought her to his village in France, tells about meeting a boy from Paris with a strange tale of long-ago love, and about getting acquainted with Felix Klein, the Jewish pharmacist, who lost everyone he loved in that Awful Time (WW II) when the village was occupied by the Nazis. Now Zazoo's grandfather Grand Pierre and Monsieur Klein are elderly men who have not talked to one another for 45 years, filled with guilt and hatred. Grand Pierre is recognized as a hero in his village, but he knows that being a hero means that he was a killer, and he has spent many long years since the war consumed by guilt. His adoption of Zazoo, whose parents were blown up by an abandoned landmine in Vietnam, is part of his healing process. Zazoo slowly gets the story worked out, piecing together what she hears from Grand Pierre, from Monsieur Klein, and from the boy Marius who has come to the village searching for happiness for his own grandmother. This is an unusual story, especially for YAs, but one that will appeal to readers who enjoy the beauty of a poetic story told about love growing and love lost. Zazoo offers the unique voice of a young girl awakening to her own love for Marius as she finds out about the tragic losses her beloved grandfather and Felix Klein endured. The setting couldn't be more romantic, with Zazoo and her grandfather living on a canal, tending the lock, and Zazoo spending most of her time on the water, on her boat that she and her grandfather built, or swimming underwater amid the reeds and lilies, and waiting for the ice to form in the winter so she can skim on the water's surface with her ice skates. Zazoo is awise girl, perhaps because of being so close to her grandfather, who now needs her help more and more as his memory fades—he even forgets where to pee. The tragic death of her own parents, far away in Vietnam, where she was born but which she cannot remember, and being an Asian girl in a French village where no one else is Asian, cause her to be isolated from everyone but her grandfather. This feeling of otherness is one reason why Marius, who thinks she is beautiful, becomes so important in her life, as does Monsieur Klein, who understands that she needs support as her grandfather becomes more and more infirm. Many YA readers will need some introduction to Zazoo, especially if the French setting and the multilayered nature of the storytelling seem too challenging at first. It may take several chapters before the novel's many enticements capture the reader. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2001, Houghton Mifflin, Clarion, 255p., $15.00. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Claire Rosser; September 2001 (Vol. 35 No. 5)

VOYA

Zazoo, a thirteen-year-old Vietnamese girl living in France, knows very little about her history. She knows that her parents were blown up in Vietnam and that her Grand-Pierre brought her back with him to France when she was just two years old. It takes Marius, a young man she happens to meet, to arouse her curiosity. He asks if her old village's pharmacist is or ever was married, a question she cannot answer. With that one odd question, she realizes how much she does not know about the people in her life, including Grand-Pierre, and sets out to learn about their pasts. From the very first paragraph, Mosher's vivid imagery makes Zazoo's world come to life. Zazoo's reaction to puberty and her desperate desire for doodoons (breasts) are right on target. Sometimes childish but with adult responsibilities, Zazoo is the perfect characterization of a young teen. This book is her tale, a romance with a little history thrown in, and it is told well. Logical but not predictable, the story unravels as Zazoo slowly learns of her Grand-Pierre's past and of how this mysterious young man and the village pharmacist somehow are tied to it. Although the characterization is well done—each person in the story is fully developed, showing both good and bad traits—the conflicts are resolved too easily, as seen by the quick reconciliation of two men who had not spoken for decades. Despite this weakness, Zazoo's story is still a worthy addition to any library collection. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2001, Clarion, 256p, $16. Ages 11 to 15.Reviewer: Jennifer Rice

School Library Journal

Gr 6-10-Brought from her Vietnamese homeland when she was a toddler, 13-year-old Zazoo lives with her adoptive grandfather in France. Their home is an old, stone mill and together they work as lockkeepers on the nearby canal. From the girl's earliest memories, Grand-Pierre has composed poetry with her. Zazoo swims late into the autumn and she loves exploring the local waters in a boat the old man has made for her. Just as soon as the ice is set, they skate by moonlight on the canal. However, Grand-Pierre is undeniably slowing down and with his memory failing, Zazoo has assumed the role of a caregiver. She listens in the night to steer him away from the closet when he needs the bathroom and she spends hours with him, gazing out onto the canal, reminding him of the poems they once recited together. During an early-morning swim, Zazoo meets Marius, an intriguing 16-year-old stranger who questions her about the village pharmacist. The girl befriends the cultured and kindly Monsieur Klein, who holds the key to unlocking the hidden conflicts of her grandfather's younger years. Considered a hero of the Resistance, Grand-Pierre knows the folly of such labels. His story of trauma and loss unfolds through Zazoo's gentle questions and through her growing friendship with Monsieur Klein. As she sorts through the emotions that past tragedies resurrect, she also holds out hope for future meetings with Marius. Zazoo is a beautiful and lyrical novel, with poetry woven throughout. It is a story of love, devotion, and unwavering commitment that bridges generations and cultures.-Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A slow and almost dreamlike exploration of the myriad ways that the past-especially a cataclysmic past-informs the present. Zazoo, almost 14 at the opening, was adopted from Vietnam at the age of two and lives in an old mill by a French canal with the man she calls Grand-Pierre; he's the lock-keeper. As Grand-Pierre's memory fades, a mysterious and attractive young man bicycles into Zazoo's life, asking questions. Soon Zazoo finds herself probing the past that created her Grand-Pierre, M. Klein, the elderly Jewish pharmacist who alone among the villagers shows no love for Grand-Pierre, and herself, orphaned by a landmine in a later war. Mosher's (The Taxi Navigator, 1996) sense of setting is luminous, and the descriptions of life along the canal evoke Wind in the Willows in their watery beauty. The slow revelation of the many intertwined personal histories is truly elegant, and the several love stories that emerge are almost painfully romantic. Zazoo's voice is honest and distinct as she tells her story; the secondary characters develop with real three-dimensional complexity as well. This is a story of memory and contemplation, not action, with most of the elements unfolding slowly over the course of a year through dialogue and reminiscence. It is perhaps over-constructed in its piecing together of the various plot elements and its drive to tie them up neatly by the end, but patient readers will find themselves forgiving this and the slow pace in their involvement with the language and the characters' evolving relationships, particularly the glorious symbiosis achieved by Zazoo and her Grand-Pierre. (Fiction. YA)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780618439041
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: 6/1/2004
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 274
Sales rank: 1,187,247
Age range: 12 years
Lexile: 0680L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 0.62 (w) x 5.00 (h) x 8.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Richard Mosher lives in St. Paul, Minnestota. He is the author of one previous novel for young people, The Taxi Navigator, published by Putnam. This is his first book for Clarion.

Read an Excerpt

1. Soon

The boy on the bike came and went. And he was like the gray cat in one way: when he was gone, I remembered everything about him, yet I couldn’t be sure, absolutely sure, he had been there at all.
It was a wispy October dawn, with scraps of mist waiting to be burnt off the canal once the sun cleared the far hills. A school day but still early. I was out in my flat-bottomed boat, one oar dragging and one up, dripping just off the surface. The blade’s wooden tip patiently plip-plip-plopped as I watched the willows shift along the canal. There was only the chorus of autumn birds, calling wake up—wake up—wake up, and the faraway bark of a dog. Insects were asleep or gone for the season. Our corner of France lay dozing except for the treeline chatter, wake up—wake up—wake up—Then came a faint whirring of tires around the towpath bend, the spinning of an old bicycle, and there he appeared among the far sycamores, scanning the canal as he came. Before he could spot me, I shook off my sandals and sweater and slipped over the stern to sink into the green of the canal, taking in one last deep breath as I went.

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Anonymous

Posted January 11, 2006

A Review About Zazoo

Zazoo, by Richard Mosher, is about a girl named Zazoo, who lives with her grandfather next to a canal in France. She is grateful for her grandfather, Grand-Pierre, who adopted her when she was two years old. He adopted her in Vietnam after her parents died. Grand-Pierre loves her very much and was glad to have brought her to France to live with him after World War II. On page 125, Grand-Pierre says to Zazoo, ¿As soon as I saw you, I knew why I was back in Vietnam. I was there for you to save me.¿ Grand-Pierre felt guilty for all the killing he had done in the war. He likes the company of Zazoo and she started a brighter life for him after the war. Zazoo has a passion for being on the canal. She swims in the summer and rows her boat on the canal until winter comes and it freezes. After the ice is solid, she ice skates with Grand-Pierre. She spends most of her time in or on the water. Everyone in the village knows her for her desire to be on the canal. On page 171, Old Louie, the doctor she goes to when she is sick, says to her, ¿Our river beauty. They say you swim a great deal, and in the winter you skate?¿ On page 10, Zazoo says, ¿¿the fact that I was called not only Zazoo but Zazoo the Gill Girl.¿ Because of her deft swimming, she is called Gill Girl. Zazoo is also very friendly and curious. She meets Marius, who was visiting from Paris and instantly befriends him as she shares poems with him and talks about herself. Zazoo has few friends, and Marius seems like an interesting new person to her, who she can actually talk to. On page 24, Zazoo thinks to herself, ¿But now there was someone else who might understand: Marius the bird-watching bicyclist.¿ Trust and admiration is formed between them while Marius slowly reveals secrets that were kept since World War II. On page 5, Marius says after meeting Zazoo, ¿Can I trust you Zazoo? I mean to keep a secret?¿ She also becomes very close to Felix Klein, who she sees regularly to get pills for Grand-Pierre. As she starts to become aware of secrets that have been kept between Felix and Grand-Pierre, she asks him many questions. On page 15, Felix says, ¿You¿re young, you want to know things, so you ask.¿ Felix, Marius, and Grand-Pierre reveal secrets to her about World War II, that make her very depressed. The plot of the story begins when Marius meets Zazoo next to a canal in a small village in France. He asks her a strange question i.e., if Felix Klein is married. Although confused by this question, Zazoo befriends him after their short conversation. After Marius mysteriously has to leave, Zazoo ponders Marius. On page 15, Zazoo says, ¿I wondered again why Marius had to know whether Monsieur Klein was married.¿ However, they keep in touch with postcards, which Zazoo looks forward to receiving. Zazoo starts to become curious about World War II when Grand-Pierre tells her of the killings he took part in during the war. He says on page 58, ¿You changed me to something better than I was,¿ meaning that he hated himself after doing what he did during the war. Trouble occurs in the plot when Zazoo goes to Felix Klein to learn about what Grand-Pierre couldn¿t tell her about the war. Zazoo has no idea what horrible things she is going to find out. On page 65, Zazoo says to Felix Klein, ¿Something seems to terrible for him to tell me. Too awful. He said it might be too weak of him, but he couldn¿t answer my questions, I¿d have to ask elsewhere.¿ Felix agrees to tell Zazoo the truth. Felix, an eleven-year-old at the time, and his family were the only Jewish people in the village when World War II broke out. His sister Isabelle, and his parents were all hung and killed by the Germans. Felix wasn¿t the only one to miss Isabelle though. Grand-Pierre used to dance the tango with Isabelle when he was in his late twenties. Now Grand Pierre is seventy-eight years old. Grand-Pierre saved Felix and took him to the Cévennes Mountains to hide, so the Germans

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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nononewday

Posted July 6, 2009

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I Also Recommend:

Past and Present United in Love

I read this book a while back, after finding it while browsing through my town's limited library selection. Extremely well written, and delves into past historical events without feeling like atedious social studies lesson. Instead Mr. Mosher, delves into deep emotional ties from past tragedies that intertwine with the young life of a young Vietnamese girl raised living with her "Grand-Pierre" in France. The story really starts to take off when Zazoo meets the mysterious boy on the bike, named Marius. As Zazoo realizes her feelings for Marius, she also discovers the secrets of past loves, and of her ownfirst love appearing before her very eyes.
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Anonymous

Posted June 17, 2008

Good Read!

I really like historical fiction. I picked this book up by accident at the library and I really enjoyed it! I flew through the pages! There are many twists and turns. I would recommend it. Anyone who likes to travel to a different land and really get connected to the main character would like this book very much!
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Anonymous

Posted October 2, 2007

A reviewer

Perhaps the writer spent more time with his nose in history books than thinking of a good plot and ending. The begining is good, but then it falls down hill. it leads nowhere. Sent me to sleep!!! Don't Waist Your Time!!!
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Anonymous

Posted August 15, 2006

WONDERFUL!!!

I thought that this book was one of the best I've ever read, and I've read a lot of books. It was a classic story of an adolescent girl who is trying to define her identity, as she is Vietnamese, but feels 'French inside.' There is also a bit of romance between Zazoo and Marius, and the outcome was, overall, totally satisfying. DEFINITELY BUY!!!
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Anonymous

Posted June 6, 2006

An Excellent Book

Zazoo is the story of a 13 year old girl named Zazoo who lives with her old adoptive grandfather in France. Thoughout the book Zazoo learns about the history of her grandfather and their village. Past romances and World War Two all play a large part in the book as Zazoo learns about life and love. The review below this pretty much tells you the ending and sounds like a book report so don't read it if you actually plan on reading Zazoo.
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Anonymous

Posted March 8, 2005

Very Good

I thought this book was very good, even if it dragged in places. Zazoo is a girl everybody could relate too. She is very kind, thoughtful, and considerate.
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Anonymous

Posted November 4, 2004

A girl who had nothing and got it back

This book is one of the best books I have read so far and trust me I have read many books. I liked this book because my personal interests include the Holocaust. The author used very graceful poetic words that are supposed to express something tragic, yet somehow comes out peaceful and promising. The characters used are also very easy to connect with. For example, Zazoo has to go through dealing with her problems for Grandpierre and keeping everything in order.
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Anonymous

Posted November 4, 2004

Zazoo- The Romantic Legacy

This was a fantastic book. I loved this book because it combines the past and the present effectively. I can also connect to Zazoo because I know someone with Alzhiemers who is slowly but surely losing her memory, like Zazoo's grandpierre. I also liked how she is so poetic and dreamy but still has a firm grip on reality. It was cool how everyone is intertwined with each other- Marius & Zazoo, Grandpierre & Isabel, Monsieur Klien & Meme Simone. I am fasinated by France so this book helped me develop a deeper understanding of French culture.
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Anonymous

Posted August 20, 2003

GREAT BOOK

The book is so interesting. It tells of youg Zazoo who lives with her adoptive grandfather, Grand-Pierre. They live in France. It is a little sad. I enjoyed the book because it was written by a great writer.
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Anonymous

Posted June 13, 2003

an awesome read!

zazoo is a beautifully written book! it was very touching and romantic. it even brought tears to my eyes in the end. this book is just terrific and i highly recommend this as a summer novel.
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Anonymous

Posted August 20, 2002

A TOUCHING PERFORMANCE

If ever a story merited reading aloud it is 'Zazoo,' the poignant story of a young Vietnamese/French girl and her journey to self-understanding. Joanna Wyatt gives a touching performance as the voice of the narrator, 13-year-old Zazoo. Born in Vietnam, Zazoo has lived most of her life in France, actually in Burgundy with her adoptive grandfather, Grand-Pierre. Her life is peaceful and serene; she has not questioned her past or Grand-Pierre's life before she came to live with him. The tenor of her days changes when Marius, a 16-year-old French boy, bicycles into her small village. His queries lead Zazoo to think and to ask about the time when France was under the boot of the Nazis. As multiple secrets are revealed we learn of a unique link between Marius and the village pharmacist. We also learn of Grand-Pierre's past, some of which he would not wish to be revealed. 'Zazoo,' as it explores the years of war, is a rather painful story yet it is one buoyed by love, hope, and forgiveness.
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Anonymous

Posted December 7, 2008

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Posted April 30, 2010

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Zazoo

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Overview

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Overview

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly

From The Critics

From The Critics

Children's Literature

KLIATT

VOYA

School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

Meet the Author

Read an Excerpt

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A Review About Zazoo

Past and Present United in Love

Good Read!

A reviewer

WONDERFUL!!!

An Excellent Book

Very Good

A girl who had nothing and got it back

Zazoo- The Romantic Legacy

GREAT BOOK

an awesome read!

A TOUCHING PERFORMANCE