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Zoey and Sassafras #3
Merhorses and Bubbles
A Mighty Girl Book of the Year With magical animals, science, mystery, and adventure -- the brand new series Zoey and Sassafras has something for everyone! Easy-to-read language and illustrations on nearly every page make this series perfect for a wide range of ages.
In the third book of this series, Zoey and Sassafras head to the stream only to make a terrible discovery. Things get even more urgent when they learn that the magical creatures living in the stream are in danger! Can Zoey and Sassafras solve the mystery of the stream and save the Merhorses?
Each story in the Zoey and Sassafras series features a new magical animal with a problem that must be solved using science. There isn't a set formula for each book; Zoey sometimes needs to run experiments, while other times she needs to investigate a mystery, and yet other times she needs to do research. Zoey models how to keep a science journal through her handwritten entries in each story. Each story is complete with a glossary of the kid-friendly definitions for scientific terms used. The series highlights child-led inquiry science and the topics covered align with both Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.
In the third book of this series, Zoey and Sassafras head to the stream only to make a terrible discovery. Things get even more urgent when they learn that the magical creatures living in the stream are in danger! Can Zoey and Sassafras solve the mystery of the stream and save the Merhorses?
Each story in the Zoey and Sassafras series features a new magical animal with a problem that must be solved using science. There isn't a set formula for each book; Zoey sometimes needs to run experiments, while other times she needs to investigate a mystery, and yet other times she needs to do research. Zoey models how to keep a science journal through her handwritten entries in each story. Each story is complete with a glossary of the kid-friendly definitions for scientific terms used. The series highlights child-led inquiry science and the topics covered align with both Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.
96 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2017
134 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
August 16, 2018
Super adorable! I loved the merhorses. I really liked how this taught readers about being careful about proper disposal of chemicals. This not only taught about science, but about environmental responsibilities. I'm glad to be meeting more magical creatures. I like that Zoey finally got to meet Pip, too!
May 16, 2021
My daughter and I are just cruising through this adorable series by Asia Citro. "Merhorses and Bubbles" is the third book in the Zoey and Sassafras series, featuring a little girl named Zoey who loves science, and her cat Sassafras, and the adventures they have with magical creatures that live in her backyard.
In this one, something is polluting the stream that runs through Zoey's backyard. Her mom and dad teach her about pH levels and the significance of algae blooms. When a talking frog named Pip arrives to warn Zooey that the merhorses are getting sick, Zoey rushes into action to figure out how to stop the pollution.
As a parent, I love how Citro writes to educate kids about science while disguising it in fun, fantasy stories about magical and supernatural creatures. For my daughter's sake, I hope Citro continues to write more of these books.
In this one, something is polluting the stream that runs through Zoey's backyard. Her mom and dad teach her about pH levels and the significance of algae blooms. When a talking frog named Pip arrives to warn Zooey that the merhorses are getting sick, Zoey rushes into action to figure out how to stop the pollution.
As a parent, I love how Citro writes to educate kids about science while disguising it in fun, fantasy stories about magical and supernatural creatures. For my daughter's sake, I hope Citro continues to write more of these books.
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March 1, 2021I’ve been reading this series with my 5 year old, and so far they are great! I love the science information woven into the plot.
September 8, 2020
This series is solid for new readers! Miranda and I are three books in and all three have been great! (Kindergarten to first grade.)
September 2, 2020
JP had mentioned that they had been reading this series out loud during rainy times at camp and that he was really enjoying it so I bought the 3rd installment for us to read at home.
In general, Zoey is a Black girl and Sassafras is her cat and they can see magical creatures, as can Zoey's mom. JP filled me in on some background that I guess you get in books 1 and 2 (like how she and her mom are not sure whether Sassafras is technically magical or not). But it's mostly NOT about magical creatures -- it is about Science! And using Science! to solve problems and help the magical creatures.
I was pleased with the book for the following reasons 1) JP is not "into chapter books" but he is enjoying this one and I'll do anything that he is interested in reading, 2) the story moves along well, 3) it is written in a voice that is easy to read out loud and I didn't want to throw the book across the room (see: Magic Treehouse series), 4) the book was text heavy but also had illustrations of varying sizes on every page, which helps with JP's "chapter books don't have enough pictures" complaint, 5) and last but definitely not least I am happy to have a series that features a girl who is also a person of color as the main character to include in his reading repertoire. Oh, also 6) I asked him to read a small portion of it and he totally could read it mostly independently *if* I can get him into that....
In general, Zoey is a Black girl and Sassafras is her cat and they can see magical creatures, as can Zoey's mom. JP filled me in on some background that I guess you get in books 1 and 2 (like how she and her mom are not sure whether Sassafras is technically magical or not). But it's mostly NOT about magical creatures -- it is about Science! And using Science! to solve problems and help the magical creatures.
I was pleased with the book for the following reasons 1) JP is not "into chapter books" but he is enjoying this one and I'll do anything that he is interested in reading, 2) the story moves along well, 3) it is written in a voice that is easy to read out loud and I didn't want to throw the book across the room (see: Magic Treehouse series), 4) the book was text heavy but also had illustrations of varying sizes on every page, which helps with JP's "chapter books don't have enough pictures" complaint, 5) and last but definitely not least I am happy to have a series that features a girl who is also a person of color as the main character to include in his reading repertoire. Oh, also 6) I asked him to read a small portion of it and he totally could read it mostly independently *if* I can get him into that....
September 19, 2023
My 7-year-old really loved it.
July 24, 2020
Love these books! This one features Zoey trying to save a polluted stream (which also happens to contain merhorses!) near her home. I love the scientific approach to figuring out what is wrong and how to fix it. The peril here is age-appropriate and the solutions are, too. When Zoey finds the source of the pollution she is able to approach the situation and deal with it on her own. I love that this is not one of those books where parents are never there -- quite the contrary, Zoey's parents are loving and involved and there when needed, but they also let Zoey stand on her own two feet and don't just rush right in to solve problems for her. Sassafras is always a delightful sidekick. Highly recommend!
April 2, 2023
A little too easy a story, I think it's good for a quite young kid with a tidy inspiring message but not so fun for me listening along. Kept the kids interested for an hour in the car though so points there.
July 9, 2018
The 6 year old choose this as her Summer Reading prize from our library. It was cute but I like dragons to merhorses.
April 3, 2022
This series is so perfect for students who want to read chapter books but still have difficulty with reading stamina and comprehension. The chapters are short and there are pictures which help with both of those issues. What I love about this series is how science and fantasy mix. The main character, Zoey, has a science journal where she takes notes, makes predictions, and conducts experiments which solve her problem. The problems she encounters are usually environment-related that affect magical creatures. In this book, Zoey has to confront older students who are hosting a car wash to ask them to stop since they are unknowingly polluting a river that is hurting merhorses. There are so many wonderful aspects to this series and my 2nd/3rd/4th grade students love to read them.
January 30, 2021
Yes I am logging this book I read aloud to my 4yo. I was looking for a sea creaturey story and was told that we didn’t need to start with the first book in the series, and that was sorta incorrect. There’s a lot of assumed background. Anyway, aforementioned 4yo (and I) wanted a little more merhorse/stream time and a little less... pollution explanation? Despite knowing it’s important. And she got it! She learned things! So that’s great. But yeah, we should have started at the beginning!
August 10, 2024
Zoey and Sassafras investigate the pollution of a stream that is killing the mayflies that merhorses feed on; the merhorses have come to the magical frog Pip for help, and Pip consults Zoey to find out how to stop the pollution. Young readers will learn about environmental pollution, how pollutants can enter waterways from distant places, a little bit about pH, and some information about the life cycles of bugs, among other scientific concepts.
Another fun little story, with endearing characters, and the presentation of rainbow stones from the merhorses to Zoey as a gift of thanks is such a sweet little moment at the end.
Another fun little story, with endearing characters, and the presentation of rainbow stones from the merhorses to Zoey as a gift of thanks is such a sweet little moment at the end.
February 1, 2020
The Zoey & Sassafras books are great because they are science books magically hidden in stories about mythical creatures. Each story contains an experiment and use of the scientific method to answer a question. Also this particular book is about preventing pollutants from draining into the watershed too.
February 22, 2022
My nibling lent this to me from their library - a milestone I am going to remember for a long time to come. I'm obviously not the audience for this series, but a STEM series with a female POC lead, magical creatures, supportive parents, and science is exactly the kind of book I'd have ADORED growing up. So, I'm really glad this exists, and can see why the nibling adores it!
April 28, 2021
Another great book in the Zoey and Sassafras series. Love these!
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August 28, 2021This series continues to be very enjoyable for our son. I still don't love the specious "keep it secret from Dad" sideplot, but otherwise good.
March 1, 2023
Joy wanted to give this book 5000 stars. Her favorite part was at the end. She wanted to read the last chapter to her stuffed narwhal; she was worried he didn’t know what had happened, so then she summarized it for him! She also only wants to read Zoey because she wants to do more experiments. The Zoey books are “persuading” (her word she used!) her to do more experiments.
June 20, 2020
Possible merhorses spotted in our kiddie pool today.
May 31, 2018
Well this was a solid five according to my daughter.
November 21, 2021
Wow I loved it
December 17, 2022
DNF
It was boring.
It was boring.
August 2, 2017
We can't get enough of this new STEM-focused fiction series!
The only downside to finishing this third installment in the fabulous Zoey and Sassafras series is that now we have to (not-so-patiently) wait for the next one to come out in the fall!
These fun, science-focused books are easily some of our favorites to read together and just like the previous two books, book #3 inspired my daughter to conduct an investigation of her own right after we finished reading it.
I just love how this series draws her in and gets her excited about exploring scientific topics, even at such a young age -- and that it does it in such a natural way, as well!
In this third book, Zoey and Sassafras head to a nearby stream, only to make a terrible discovery. This situation only gets worse when they learn that not only are typical water creatures in danger, but the magical merhorses, as well!
Zoey and Sassafras (along with Pip, the frog) need to solve the mystery of the stream, but will they do it in time to save all the creatures?
You'll have to read the book yourself to find out, but along the way you'll encounter seamless scientific learning about environmental issues and plenty of Marion Lindsay's lively illustrations, just like in Dragons and Marshmallows and Monsters and Mold.
Like the other books, Merhorses and Bubbles contains a glossary explaining more about the main scientific concepts found within its pages.
I'm so happy this series exists and hope the author continues to write them!
I received a free copy of this product from Innovation Press in exchange for writing a review. All opinions are my own.
The only downside to finishing this third installment in the fabulous Zoey and Sassafras series is that now we have to (not-so-patiently) wait for the next one to come out in the fall!
These fun, science-focused books are easily some of our favorites to read together and just like the previous two books, book #3 inspired my daughter to conduct an investigation of her own right after we finished reading it.
I just love how this series draws her in and gets her excited about exploring scientific topics, even at such a young age -- and that it does it in such a natural way, as well!
In this third book, Zoey and Sassafras head to a nearby stream, only to make a terrible discovery. This situation only gets worse when they learn that not only are typical water creatures in danger, but the magical merhorses, as well!
Zoey and Sassafras (along with Pip, the frog) need to solve the mystery of the stream, but will they do it in time to save all the creatures?
You'll have to read the book yourself to find out, but along the way you'll encounter seamless scientific learning about environmental issues and plenty of Marion Lindsay's lively illustrations, just like in Dragons and Marshmallows and Monsters and Mold.
Like the other books, Merhorses and Bubbles contains a glossary explaining more about the main scientific concepts found within its pages.
I'm so happy this series exists and hope the author continues to write them!
I received a free copy of this product from Innovation Press in exchange for writing a review. All opinions are my own.
May 16, 2017
Oh, my goodness! These Zoey and Sassafras books are wonderful! We learned about them from a fellow mama and immediately went to the library to grab them. I think we need to buy our own copies because Willow loves them...and I really enjoy reading them with her! I love how there's a mystery and lesson to be learned - educational and super fun to read. The illustrations are also adorable. Merhorses and Bubbles will definitely be read over and over again! Willow said she likes how Zoey helps the animals and she loves Sassafras (the cat).
July 10, 2018
Wow, this one got me thinking, wondering, questioning, and investigating the effect we have on nature, in particular our drainage systems and the local rivers. I don’t want to give anything away, but this would be a great read for that thought-provoking question and possible investigative project, both on a local level and a national or world level. I had an in depth conversation about (well, I won’t spoil it) it with my boyfriend while on a nature walk, all to the thanks of Zoey and Sassafras.
June 20, 2022
I loved the moral of this story! This book was our first from Zoey & Sassafras. Zoey is a little girl who can see magical animals and Sassafras is her pet. In this one she is looking for Merhorses (mermaid horses) and sees that they're not around and neither is their food source. She uses hypotheses and science to discover the pollution in the stream and where its coming from as well as a solution. Loved that, but the writing style wasn't my favorite. I'd definitely read more though!
Update on reread: Feel the same as above! Love how this sparks thought and a lot for science.
Update on reread: Feel the same as above! Love how this sparks thought and a lot for science.
June 30, 2021
3.5 I am really enjoying this series and happy to see that the books continue to get better. I loved how the mom and dad were more involved in this story. The way that the scientific process is explained is perfect for children. Zoey and Sassafras are both so lovable. The problem seemed to be solved very quickly which didn’t seem as realistic to me. I wanted to see a bit more of the struggle of that process but I liked how Zoey took charge to fix it. Kids will love the creatures and pictures.
November 12, 2018
My daughter continues to be enamored with these books about Zooey and her ability to see magical creatures. I appreciate the math and science connections, and the connection that happens as my daughter and I snuggle up to read these books together!
July 16, 2020
Magical creatures take center stage in this series that ultimately teaches a scientific principle. It is sort of a genius way to capture both intellects and imaginations of young kids. My daughter loves them.
November 2, 2018
A STEM fantasy?! YES!!!! Make observations, form hypotheses, test theories, and save the merhorses. Each book in the series features a different magical creature and scientific topic.
June 8, 2019
Book three brings merhorses and lessons on water pollution.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews