زاغازو

by Quentin Blake, Raneem Alameri (Translator)

رحلة مجازية ممتعة تستعرض تجربة الطفولة وتغيراتها، وانعكاس ذلك على الوالدين بأسلوب يمزج بين الفكاهة والخيال والواقعية.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Parenting

36 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Sir Quentin Saxby Blake is an English cartoonist, caricaturist, illustrator and children's writer. He has illustrated over 300 books, including 18 written by Roald Dahl, which are among his most popular works. For his lasting contribution as a children's illustrator he won the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2002, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books. From 1999 to 2001, he was the inaugural British Children's Laureate. He is a patron of the Association of Illustrators.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very funny observation of parenthood. George and Bella are young, carefree, like flower arranging, eating ice cream and are in love. One day a baby arrives (by post of course) George and Bella have never been happier. Then one day the baby turns into a vulture, it's cries are terrifying, particularly at night. Then the vulture turns into a baby elephant, trampling about the house, then a warthog and a bat. Some days it is a bit of each. Then the warthog turns into a Zagazoo, a long hairy teenager-ish creature, George and Bella don't know what to do, they simply can't take anymore (they've turned grey at this point) Then one morning they discover they have a perfectly nice young man living with them, he has a girlfriend and they both enjoy motorcycle maintenance. At this point there is a twist about George and Bella but you'll have to read it to find out.

We loved this book when our children were small and it caused much amusement for both children and adults. Recently our son was mending a motorbike and we both smiled.

We have a well worn copy of this but it is also available on open library.

[Verdiana M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un albo illustrato esilarante che strizza l’occhio a tutti i neo-genitori, ma anche a quelli “più esperti” che ricorderanno con un sorriso le fasi animalesche che ogni bambino in qualche modo attraversa, fino a quando...

[Gooshe · Rating 5 out of 5]

توضیحی استثنایی از زندگی برای کودکان؛ زاگازو داستان تولد، کودکی، نوجوانی، جوانی و کهنسالی آدمیزاد را برای کودکان توضیح می‌دهد. کوئنتین بلیک یکی از شناخته‌شده‌ترین و بهترین تصویرگران و نویسندگان کودک زندگی را انحنای بزرگی می‌بیند از شادی به وحشت و از وحشت به شادی

[Ece · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Isn't life amazing!"

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day the postman brought them a strange-looking parcel. They unwrapped it together. Inside there was a little pink creature, as pretty as can be. On it was a label which said: It's name is Zagazoo.

Ah, another Quentin Blake for our collection and this one is filled with his unique style of madness and mischievous silliness.

When George and Bella are delivered a baby by the postman, they couldn't be happier. However, all is not what it seems!

A fun little read and a bargain at 20p in a local charity shop. 4 stars.

[Zoltan Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quentin Blakes’s Zagazoo is a fantastic book, looking at the possible difficulties of parenting from a very humorous perspective.
George and Bella are a happy couple who receive a strange looking parcel in the mail, which contains a pretty little pink creature as pretty as could be: Zagazoo!
Blake describes the changes that children go through as they grow up and lets us see just how difficult it can be for poor Bella and George to look after (metaphorically) screeching vultures and destructive elephants and muddy warthogs.
As a teaching resource I can see uses for it in relation to elementary sex education, demonstrating to children the difficulties and the responsibilities of parenting, from year 3. Alternatively, it could be used to help children explore thoughts about when they (or their siblings) are elephants or small bad-tempered dragons. Through this, they can also explore the literary merits of analogy and metaphor. It is presented in a simple and very accessible way and would be a great stimulus for children to write their own stories focused on these sorts of metaphors, again from year 3 onwards.

[Mark Jepson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zagazoo

Zagazoo is a picture book by Quentin Blake which makes it appropriate for children between the ages of five and seven to read to themselves. This book is ideal to read to children younger than five.

Early on in the book, George and Bella receive a parcel which contains a ‘little pink creature’ whose name is Zagazoo. Zagazoo becomes something different every morning ranging from a vulture to an elephant. The fast paced narrative of the story should excite the reader. The story unfolds to ultimately show in a unique way the different stages of childhood as Zagazoo changes from a noisy baby into a polite young man who goes on to meet a girl called Kate.

The book is filled with entertaining pictures that all children should love. Quentin Blake’s vivid imagination is represented well in the book and his writing style offers a number of funny moments that should make it easy for children to get lost in the story and find it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Matt Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of George and Bella, who receive a parcel in the post that contains Zagazoo. It then follows them through all of Zagazoo's changes on the way to being an adult. It's a delightfully imaginative exploration of growing up and how those changes may seem to those around us, which is beautifully illustrated throughout. Also, the final line, "Isn't life amazing!" fills me with joy every time I read it. I think this would could be read either as a group or independently, and could also be used in whole or in part to lead into discussion (or writing) about growth and change (or even things students enjoy as these are carefully laid out for both the couples in the book).

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

George and Bella are a lovely couple, so when they receive a Zagazoo, they take good care of it. At first the Zagazoo is cute, but sometimes it's a screeching vulture, a clumsy elephant, a muddy warthog, or a bad-tempered dragon. Will George and Bella be able to raise their Zagazoo or will they go crazy?

Blake's illustrations and story humorously capture the joys of parenting. Children are pretty cute but at times they can be loud, muddy, hairy, angry, etc. The ending made me smile. Fun book for kiddos but parents will love it even more.

[Priscilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Bella and George going through different stages of looking after their child through to adulthood in a humorous way. I found it amusing to read that the baby changed into so many different things before becoming a lovely grown up. In the end the parents change into the weird and wonderful creatures. I think this book would be good for children aged seven as independent reading. The illustrations are good and relates well to the text.

[Terri Zumbahlen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute story about a boy growing up but the parents keep seeing him as different animals. When the boy is older he sees the parents as an animal. Would be good for elementary students to discuss family, behavior, what other animal the boy might be or was the boy really those animals and why did the parents pretend he was.

[michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection. What a hilarious way to depict the different ages of childhood, and the touch at the end about the parents was also quite splendid. I'd definitely recommend to any parents, older siblings, or individuals who work/interact with children. Others may enjoy it as well but I know the first time I read this book I didn't appreciate it nearly as much as I do now.

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un racconto brillante e imprevedibile che trasforma la crescita dei bambini in una serie di metamorfosi buffe e irresistibili. Con il suo tratto vivace e l’umorismo delicato, Blake firma una storia tenera e divertente, capace di far sorridere piccoli e grandi. Un gioiello sull’arte di crescere insieme.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear parents of boys, consider this a public service announcement. The book Zagazoo by Quentin Blake seems a great telling of life as parents. The darling baby transforms into all manner of terrifying creatures. Until one day... Well, let's just say it turns out alright.

[Sarah Atallah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was a very fun and adventurous book exploring the journey of a baby in different forms of animals. It was always very exciting to see what the next transformation would be on the next page

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever premise, charmingly illustrated, and doesn't overstay its welcome.

[Eliza Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely funny story about a transforming baby!

[Parsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd had this book when my children were small, it would have made life so much easier to understand!!

[Jonathan Paxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my 5 year old. Utterly wonderful.

[Shivakukatla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny 😀.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives hope when in the mayhem of parenting! A picture book every parent should own:)

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

George and Bella, a very happy couple who enjoys doing everything together, receives a mysterious package with a pretty creature in it. But the creature begins to change, and continues to change until it becomes the most amazing creature of all, which please George and Bella very much. So what is a Zagazoo? It just might be you.

[Fred · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful children’s book! Very relatable to parents about the difficulties and pay-offs of children growing up.
Illustrations of QB are inevitably wonderful. I would recommend this for young readers!

[Tea73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third of the Quentin Blake books a friend of mine recommended and the one I liked best. It's an adorable allegory for parenthood that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. I did not anticipate the last line at all, but it was perfect.

[Ralph Zoontjens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but great book that uses metaphor to compare children to different kinds of animals. It should provide young kids with a humorous but eye-opening reflection of their unwanted behaviors. Wonderfully illustrated as it is as well as with a twist at the end, this is a must-read for all parents.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a funny, unexpected book. It outlines the passage of time while raising children pretty well. I do not know who the target audience is. Perhaps new parents?

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book from a parent’s perspective. I don’t know if young readers will completely understand the author’s purpose.

[Mansour · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're all Zagazoo.

[ZENA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wept when I read that George and Bella became pelicans. And my 2y 9m old baby loves it too.

[Martina Delilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blake è una certezza.

Ottimo alleato per chi lavora con la genitorialità🌱