The Zabajaba Jungle is amazing. It is mysterious. But Leonard can handle anything and still stand beside his brave Irene. Steig's spunky hero and his dramatic illustrations set a new standard for children's fiction.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Leonard traverses a jungle in which things are seldom what they seem. In a boxed review, PW said, "It transcends its adventure-story roots and reveals epic elements. Visually, every page is a feast. The artist's use of saturated color in his powerfully fanciful paintings has never been better." Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2 The Zabajaba Jungle is a dangerous place filled with assorted menacing flora and fauna. Leonard, a solid fellow who looks like he might be Brave Irene's older brother, is fighting his way through this jungle for an unknown reason. He walks through the inside of a petrified monster, gets rescued from a mass of snakes by a butterfly, discovers the delicious but illegal nectar of the Jabazaba flower, and is dragged off by mandrills and tossed into a hole in the ground. The mandrills take him before a bizarre triumverate of judges who are impressed when Leonard sets off some fireworks he happens to have. He escapes, and discovers his parents peacefully sitting in an enormous glass bottle, his mother knitting and his father reading the paper. He breaks the bottle and leads them out of the jungle. Steig's illustrations are appropriately jungle-like and colorful, and filled with all kinds of extravagant creations. The relatively brief and slightly peculiar story lacks the cohesiveness of Steig's wonderful Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Windmill, 1969) or Dr. DeSoto (Farrar, 1982), and Leonard isn't as sympathetic a character as Brave Irene (Farrar, 1986) or Pearl from The Amazing Bone (Farrar, 1976). But the narrative has witty moments and a refreshingly challenging vocabulary. Children will resonate to the imaginative aspects of the story, which reflect the irrationality of dreams. Leda Schubert, Vermont Department of Education, Montpelier
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
William Steig (1907-2003) published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968, and received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (978-1416902065) in 1970. His works also include The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. His most recent books published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux are Shrek! (released by DreamWorks as a major motion picture) and Wizzil, illustrated by Quentin Blake. School Library Journal named Shrek! a Best Book of 1990 and said of it, "Steig's inimitable wit and artistic dash have never been sharper or more expertly blended."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a very odd and wonderful book,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Zabajaba Jungle (Paperback)
Like most of Steig's books, very odd and wonderful. Leonard's adventures with a jungle of snakes, a strange bird and other odd creatures are bizarre and dream-like while at the same time quite matter-of-fact. Anyone might encounter his parents trapped under a bell-jar in the middle of a jungle, peacefully reading the newspaper. A wonderful book because it treats odd and potentially scary things in a very matter-of fact way, as nothing Leonard can't handle, although he does once wish he was home. At my house recently, a 4 year old, a 6 year old and a 9 year old were simultaneously captivated by this book. I love the odd plot line, which just keeps going until it's done -- sort of like a dream.
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