Zoomi and Zoe and the Tricky Turnaround

Zoomi and Zoe #1

by Corey Ann Haydu

The Princess in Black meets Monsters, Inc. in this zany, heartwarming new series for early readers 4 to 8 years old!

Written by the acclaimed Corey Ann Haydu with sweet, quirky illustrations by Anne Appert, the Zoomi and Zoe series explores the wonder and anxiety of life's first big transitions with warmth, whimsy, and plenty of silliness.

Zoe loves routine, her stuffed rhino Zoomi, and her best friend Kyla. When Kyla moves away, Zoe feels alone. Until somehow, she’s transported to a magical new world with just one sort-of-familiar Zoomi, who is suddenly very much real.

Zoomi loves adventure, zooming, and her best friend Moo. In her world, life is full of happy surprises, but one ritual is when something hard happens, she’ll have Tricky Turnaround. And when she does, a Happy Helpful Human from the “real” world will arrive to help her through it.

But when Zoe arrives, she doesn’t seem very happy. Or helpful. Or interested in the party Zoomi threw for her—complete with toothbrushes and a rainbow mud slide. In fact, Zoe may be navigating a Tricky Turnaround of her own. Can Zoomi and Zoe come together to help each other with the trickier parts of growing up, like saying goodbye to friends and making new ones?

Keep an eye out for book two, The Sibling Situation, launching in August 2025!

Genres: Fantasy, Friendship

96 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[Skye Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my honest review.
This is a really fun read!!
The characters are so adorable!
Zoomi in my opinion, is really kind but likes to “zoom” through everything to get to the good part.
While Zoe, likes to keep everything in order and go one step at a time.
So these two characters sort of balance each other out!
This I recommend to anyone and everyone!
Can’t wait for book 2!

[Kennedy Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cute!!
Ok but if I ever get the chance to go to GlumbleGlibble, I would in a heart beat.
This book is like imaginary friend and Toy Story put together. If you ever want a short wonderful story or a good series, this is your book.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Corey Ann Haydu writes for all ages-the wonderful One Jar of Magic and Rules for Stealing Stars for middle grades, the Handful of Magic series for emerging readers and a smattering of YA, too. Zoomi and Zoe begins a new chapter book series for 4-6 year old listeners and early readers through age 8-9.

Zoe is a a young girl who loves routine, rules, her best human friend Kyla and her best stuffed friend Zoomi. Surprises, heights, twisty slides and change are harder for her to deal with and right now, she is struggling with Kyla moving away and not being able to see her as often as she would like. Zoomi, the stuffed animal, “actually” lives in an imaginary land called GlumbleGlimble and is dealing with her best friend moving away as well but the expectation of the arrival of her Helpful Human, Zoe, is giving her something to look forward to. When Zoe arrives in GlumbleGlimble, the two discover that they are very different and must work at finding common interests by talking and trying new things, eventually realizing that you don’t have to be exactly the same in order to be friends.

Haydu’s book is full of fun, terrific illustrations by Anne Appert, and has some great information about friendship embedded in her imaginative story. However, the idea of a Tricky Turnaround that Zoomi mentions often was not entirely clear. The publisher summary explains the concept as two friends working through a tough situation and turning it around which completely makes sense with the scary experience of friends moving away, but is not explicitly stated in the book. However, the target audience is likely to simply enjoy the idea of a beloved stuffie being alive and living in such a fun place.

Solid early chapter book choice for libraries needing more titles for their younger readers. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. Representation: Race of human characters is not stated but illustrations present Zoe’s friend Kyla as Black.

Thanks for the print arc, Quirk Books/Penguin Random House.

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in an expected new series, Zoomi is a cute rhino stuffed animal from the human world. Zoe is a girl living in the human world. Zoe is sad because her best friend moved away. Zoomi is also sad because their best friend has been assigned to a human. That’s where the Ticky Turnaround part comes into the story.

For Zoe and Zoomi to connect, Zoe has to travel through a magical pineapple to meet Zoomi and slide down the magical muddy rainbow slide together to be best stuffie/human friends. Of course, nothing can be that easy, especially because Zoe likes lists, likes to know what’s going to happen next, and isn’t too excited about the slide.

Early chapter book readers will appreciate the illustrated pages and the short chapters. My copy had black and white illustrations since it was an Advanced Reader Copy, but the finished copy is in vivid color with lots of purples and yellows. The illustrations were super cute and will help with comprehension and encourage kids to keep reading.

This easy-to-read story has a fantastical appeal to kids, is silly yet heartwarming, and has a bit of adventure to it. Kids will never look at their favorite stuffed animal the same again. For kids who need encouragement to try a chapter book and are okay with a bit of magic, try this new book and look for Book #2, THE SIBLING SITUATION, to come in August 2025.

*Note, Zoe in the story is the daughter of two dads. They are only mentioned a few times in the story, but this may appeal to some readers who are looking for books that feature a child with two dads.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Quirk Books through NetGalley.
Haydu opens a new series with some loveable characters. Zoomi lives in GlumbleGlibble and begins the story by saying goodbye to his best friend, Moo. At the same time, Zoe says goodbye to her best friend, Kyra in the real world. The two connect as they are destined to be best friends but it does not go smoothly. Both are grieving and neither put together that their best friends are together in their new location. Readers see them talk and share and figure out how friendship works for them. Zoomi's friends are welcoming and helpful as Zoe spends time in their land. Haydu set up the characters and I look forward to seeing their friendships develop as the series continues. Brightly colored artwork brings life to the tale.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoomi is Zoe's stuffy she has had since she was a baby. A purple rhino. But there is also a Zoomi that lives in GlumbleGlibble land. The GlumbleGlibble land Zoomi is waiting for her Tricky Turnaround - the day she gets her Happy Helpful Human. And having her best friend Moo move away is what sets it all in motion.

In Zoe's world, her best friend Kayla has just moved to New Hampshire. With her stuffy Moo. Zoe is upset that Kayla has moved. Zoe likes things to be orderly and for everything to be in its place and she can't find her stuffy Zoomi. She keeps asking her Dad and her Papa bunches of questions. Finally she goes into the back yard - and ends up in GlumbleGlibble where she meets the real Zoomi. A much bigger and sparklier Zoomi. But can they be best friends?

Cute!

[Roxana Rathbun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way this book introduces anxiety and routines that might be relatable to autistic children or children with OCD or other social conditions. Zoe is feeling sad because she lost her friend and Zoomi has been waiting for her to enter a special world. Another part of the book that is great is that Zoe has two dads. Nothing is addressed, it just is, which is great representation for the LGBTQAI+ community. Seeing normal family dynamics represented in this way without any explanation is just what we need more of in this society. Overall I really enjoyed this book and think it is a fun read for young kids.

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful book that merges the real world with the world of imagination, showing readers that friends can be different. Their uniqueness is what makes them special. And that can make the friendship even better because you have different perspectives. Also space is sometimes good when it comes to friends. They can still be in a different place and be a friend. How close they are should prohibit your friendship if you are truly friends.
Thank you to Quirk Books and Netgalley for writing such a great book for young readers to learn that friendship can be many things, but are still beautiful no matter how near or far they are.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

After her best friend moves away and her stuffed hippo Zoomi disappears, Zoe is heartbroken. Meanwhile, in GlumbleGlibble a supersized version of Zoomi come to life, is preparing to meet her Happy Helpful Human for the first time. When Zoe arrives in GlumbleGlibble, she’s overwhelmed and taken aback by the exuberant welcome she receives from Zoomi and her friends. Eventually, they manage to navigate their differences and find common ground while helping each other negotiate a Tricky Turnaround. Adorable, colorful illustrations bring Zoe and the residents of GlumbleGlibble to life, but the explanation of a Tricky Turnaround may not be concrete enough for the story’s intended audience.

[Ember Moto · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story about a young girl learning how to be ok with her best friend moving away. Zoe enters a world where her stufie Zoomi is alive. Zoomi's best friend as also moved away. Together Zoomi and Zoe learn how to be ok with not having their best friends around and along the way they make a new friend. This book teaches kids to appreciate how everyone is different with a fun and colorful story.
Thank You to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

[Becky Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoomi and Zoe and the Tricky Turnaround by Corey Ann Haydu is a story in the Zoomi and Zoe universe where everything is a little bit wacky. When a Tricky Turnaround happens to Zoomi after her best friend moves, her new human doesn't seem the excited to be her new friend. With great illustrations, good imaginative writing and a situation that could happen to anyone, this is an excellent book for younger children.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful beginner chapter book that takes kid logic to extremes, though the grown-up in me still wants to go down that rainbow mudslide. It's a good book to hand to anyone with a best friend that moves away, but any kid with an imagination will relate to the fun cast of characters.

[Rita (RitaReadsTrash) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the idea was really cute, but there was a lot of cutesy gibberish that might be too much for new readers. I would recommend to try it as a read aloud.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This chapter book is by one of the VCFA faculty members, and I've absolutely LOVED her read-alouds of parts of it at residency. It's such a cute book with a great message and so many fun & humorous bits, and I had a blast reading the full book!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)