Good Zap, Little Grog! [Hardcover]

Sarah Wilson (Author), Susan Meddaugh (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Wacky words, amusing rhymes, and inventively colorful illustrations document the hilarious adventures of little Grog as he takes a day trip to a distant world full of fun and adventure.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Do children on other planets keep to the same daily rituals that Earthlings follow? Wilson (Christmas Cowboy; Garage Song) suggests that some behavior is truly universal in this winsome fantasy, the title of which translates as "good night" in a world of Grogs. But that phrase doesn't occur until the conclusion; the gentle rhymes begin with sunrise ("Zoodle oop, little Grog,/ give a hug; stretch and yawn./ The night moons are fading./ There's shine on the lawn"). The little Grog looks just like a human boy?although his pets are "ooglets" and a "giant chiwanga" (something like a blue brontosaurus) peeks in the door of his igloo-like abode. Meddaugh (Martha Speaks) imagines an extraterrestrial, primitive land, placing three pink moons in its sky. Her watercolor-and-ink flying "zoofs" and mouse-tailed "froozels" flesh out the neologist's nonsense menagerie, and a two-page "Grog Guide" lets readers identify all the freaky fauna. It's brillig, yet mimsey at the same time. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?An imaginative, oversized title with rhyming text and illustrations that are bursting with color. Three poems?"Zoodle Ooop," "Yoop Dooz," and "Good Zap"?trace a little boy's day in an alien world full of fribbets, zamblots, and zoofs. In the manner of Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky," the buoyant rhymes have just enough of the familiar for children to figure out the nonsense parts. The bright pictures depict a human-looking child and his mother and distinctly imaginary flora and fauna. Although there is some lack of inventiveness in the mostly two-syllable names, e.g., froozel, frullup, and floom, youngsters will surely love the strange words and rhythmic lines that beg for repetition and memorization, and will ask their parents to read the book once again before they say "good zap."?Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1st edition (September 4, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564022862
• ISBN-13: 978-1564022868
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,349,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book!, December 5, 1999

By 

Jennifer Banner (Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Zap, Little Grog! (Hardcover)

This is a completely charming book, showing a child going through his day, from waking to sleep, in a world surrounded by imaginary and intriguing creatures. They are vaguely Dr. Suess-like, but the illustrations and simple, short rhymes appeal to even smaller children. My one-year old nephew loves it (again and again), and my child, now eight, enjoys these unique creatures and the made-up words. It is a book that I'm happy to read too, especially in the evening, since the child goes to sleep in the end. I highly recommend this book, with its great illustrations and rhythm.

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, December 21, 2010

By 

K. Schafer (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Good Zap, Little Grog (Library Binding)

We love this book. We started reading it to our (now 11 year old) daughter when she was three or four and it's one of the few books we absolutely WILL NOT GIVE AWAY (well, at least OUR copy -- we'll buy it for other people) because it is such a treasured part of her childhood.

Giant Chawangas will always sink in our household!

5.0 out of 5 stars Please Reprint, January 29, 2006

By 

E. Callahan (NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Good Zap, Little Grog! (Hardcover)

My daughter is 14 now and still lets me read this every now and then to her! This was her favorite bedtime book for many years. I wish it was in reprint so I could buy it for friends having babies and grandchildren.