Zvuvi's Israel

by Tami Lehman-Wilzig, Ksenia Topaz (Illustrator)

Overview

Can you find Zvuvi the fly? He is hiding! With clever text and colorful pictures, Zvuvi takes readers on a tour of Israel, buzzing through the modern cities, ancient ruins, and nature preserves from north to south. Children can search for him hiding on the ski slopes of Mount Hermon and in the salty waters of the Dead Sea. A great way to introduce young children to the sites and sounds of Israel!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512497342
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2009
Series:	Israel
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Tami Lehman-Wilzig is an award-winning author of 14 picture books, including Keeping The Promise and Soosie, The Horse That Saved Shabbat. Born in America, she lives in Kfar Saba, Israel, with her husband, where she shares her love of stories with her grandchildren.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 3—Zvuvi and Zahava, two flies who live in Israel, travel the country showing readers historical, cultural, and natural sites. They have a few close calls with flyswatters, but for the most part enjoy zoos, beaches, cable cars, and other locales. Detailed paintings give a good sense of place, although the flies are usually out of proportion to the environments in which they are depicted. On several pages, readers are challenged to find tiny (almost too tiny) images of Zvuvi or Zahava that have been incorporated into long-shot scenes—hints are provided in the back matter. The detailed pictures, small font, and busy layout make this a book best pored over individually. A map at the front marks cities and other places mentioned in the text. However, it does not delineate or mention the West Bank or Gaza Strip. This whirlwind, very simplified tour covers a lot of ground. With only a sentence or two about each site, there is no way to provide context or connection. The book will be best appreciated by kids who are familiar with Israel or who have a passion for armchair travel, but it does not have enough story line to draw in casual readers. The use of flies as protagonists may, unfortunately, reduce the book's appeal to older children.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

School Library Journal

Zvuvi the fly and cousin Zahava lead a tour of Israel's sights and historical venues from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, from the coastal beaches of Netanya and Eilat through Haifa and the Galilee, north and south to Tiberias and the Dead Sea. Topaz's joyfully rendered watercolor scenes accompany a chatty text with both tour guides leading the way. Readers are alerted to the wonders, beauty and history while also asked to search for the "tour flies" as they are hidden within the various scenes. This oversized format, with its many, layered views of the country, will serve as a good introduction for anyone planning a visit with children. The peculiar choice of the word "species" for a series of Israeli foods may lead kids to conclude that nothing else grows there, and Yad Vashem is oddly absent from the many sights. Still, Zvuvi and Zahava are likable guides, and the overall design and wealth of information make this a friendly introduction to the country. (map, glossary) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews

"Zvuvi the fly and cousin Zahava lead a tour of Israel's sights and historical venues from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, from the coastal beaches of Netanya and Eilat through Haifa and the Galilee, north and south to Tiberias and the Dead Sea. Topaz's joyfully rendered watercolor scenes accompany a chatty text with both tour guides leading the way. Readers are alerted to the wonders, beauty and history while also asked to search for the 'tour flies' as they are hidden within the various scenes. This oversized format, with its many, layered views of the country, will serve as a good introduction for anyone planning a visit with children. The peculiar choice of the word 'species' for a series of Israeli foods may lead kids to conclude that nothing else grows there, and Yad Vashem is oddly absent from the many sights. Still, Zvuvi and Zahava are likable guides, and the overall design and wealth of information make this a friendly introduction to the country."


—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher