Have You Ever Zeen a Ziz?

by Linda Elovitz Marshall, Kyle Reed (Illustrator)

Overview

The Ziz is a bird that sings, puts on shows, and has the ability to block out the sun with its wings. This absurd and quirky tale about the mythological Ziz will have readers everywhere searching the skies for one. Told in rhyme, this humorous story is perfect for reading out loud.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807531730
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	04/01/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,097,771
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Linda Elovitz Marshall studied cultural anthropology in college, then worked in early childhood education. While teaching, she fell in love with picture books. Linda has written almost twenty picture books, both fiction and nonfiction. She lives with her husband on a farm in the Hudson River Valley of New York.

Kyle Reed's illustrations have appeared in children's books, magazines, and advertisements. He lives in Canada.

Editorial Reviews

"Sweet and delightful and totally charming."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2020-01-12
What in the world is a ziz?

It is an extraordinary, amazing bird. She has a wingspan that can block the sky, but she's gentle and sweet, with kindness for all, playing with children and guarding farmers' crops. Oh yes, she also sings from morning to night, when she's alone or at play with friends or in her nest on high. The songs can be happy or sad, but they are always loud. When she takes "a little shluffy," incorporating a Yiddish word for a child's nap, the singing ends, only to be replaced by even louder snores. Marshall tells this very slight tale in lilting, vaguely Seussian singsong rhymes that fly across the pages along with the mysterious ziz. In a note Marshall cites biblical Jewish writings naming this bird that inspired her to bring it to life. Reed's brightly hued illustrations interpret Marshall's vision of the ziz and are designed with unfettered imagination and verve. When the bird stands on her yellow feet on land, her orange crown and yellow beak reach through the clouds. Her huge orange wings are in perfect proportion to her very long neck and flexible body. The work begs to be read aloud—or, better yet, together—and the large print with a smattering of italics provides cues for fun-filled interpretations.

Sweet and delightful and totally charming. (Picture book. 3-9)

Kirkus Reviews

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