Wednesday, September 7, 2011

The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Grandad: The Zoo

The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Grandad:  The Zoo
By: John Vasey
ISBN:  9781463522841
Published:  August 27, 2011 by CreateSpace
Available Format:  Paperback

My Rating:  ★★★★★

The Zoo is the second of the Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Grandad books.  In this cute little read, the siblings spend a day with Grandad at, you guessed it, the zoo!  From Gorillas to Giraffes to roaring Tigers, the kids have a fantastic day of adventure with their beloved Grandad!

I love these books.  I think what makes them so special to me is that they nurture the importance of the relationship between children and their grandparents.  What an absolutely priceless gift stories like these are! 

Just like the first book, I love the bright colorful pages.  Some readers have complained about the drawings, but I think they are more meaningful than some computer generated illustrations.  These pictures look like the children drew them, and in my opinion, those are the greatest works of art!  Vasey left a page in the end of the book for kids to draw a picture of themselves on an adventure with their grandfather.  My six-year-old talked me into letting him write in the book, haha, and drew a picture of him with his Poppa looking at lions.  His Poppa passed away almost two years ago, so I was extremely touched that he remembered him and chose to draw him. 

The narrative is concise, easy for the little ones to follow, and holds their attention quite nicely.  I do think this book had a better plot than the first, which is why I gave it a higher rating.  My younger two were more interested in looking at the animals this time and talking about which ones they liked best, roaring like a lion, and acting like the monkeys they are!

I am looking forward to many more adventures with Grandad!