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The Zoom Trilogy
The three picture books collected in this single volume tell the story
of Zoom, a cat in search of his mysterious, seafaring Uncle Roy. His
search leads him to his uncle's friend Maria, a woman whose house holds
not only the ocean (as we discover in Zoom at Sea, which The Toronto Star called "the most completely satisfying Canadian picture
book ever produced"), but also, somewhere up near the attic, the North
Pole (as we learn in Zoom Away), and, behind the books in the
library, Egypt and its Nile (Zoom Upstream). Tim Wynne-Jones'
gentle, whimsical stories are enhanced by the enchanting black-and-white
illustrations, by Eric Beddows, that complement each page of text. A
lasting treasure for the family library. With a Preface by James
Mustich, Jr.
of Zoom, a cat in search of his mysterious, seafaring Uncle Roy. His
search leads him to his uncle's friend Maria, a woman whose house holds
not only the ocean (as we discover in Zoom at Sea, which The Toronto Star called "the most completely satisfying Canadian picture
book ever produced"), but also, somewhere up near the attic, the North
Pole (as we learn in Zoom Away), and, behind the books in the
library, Egypt and its Nile (Zoom Upstream). Tim Wynne-Jones'
gentle, whimsical stories are enhanced by the enchanting black-and-white
illustrations, by Eric Beddows, that complement each page of text. A
lasting treasure for the family library. With a Preface by James
Mustich, Jr.
80 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1997
97 people want to read
About the author
Tim Wynne-Jones
71 books163 followersTim Wynne-Jones (born 12 August 1948) is an English–Canadian author of children's literature, including picture books and novels for children and young adults, novels for adults, radio dramas, songs for the CBC/Jim Henson production Fraggle Rock, as well as a children's musical and an opera libretto.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2001): The Boy in the Burning House
Edgar Award
◊ Best Young Adult (2002): The Boy in the Burning House
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2001): The Boy in the Burning House
Edgar Award
◊ Best Young Adult (2002): The Boy in the Burning House
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 30, 2020
Zoom the cat has an affinity for the sea. "The sea is in his blood, " his friends say. One day he discovers a dusty diary he'd never seen before inscribed to him from his Uncle Roy, and on the last page is an address and a map of how to get to the sea. And so he goes.
A wonderful story. Magnificent illustrations. If you love picture books as I do, you really must get a copy and read this book.
And how did I come across this book? Pure serendipity. I found it in my Little Free Library and I thought I'd give it a quick read and put it back in the box. When I opened the book, I began to read a lovely and unexpectedly erudite introduction to a picture book. More serendipity. The introduction is by James Mustich, Jr., founder of A Common Reader, a periodical I adored as a young stay-at-home mom, filled with recommendations of books Mustich had run across and loved. I recently put my money where my mouth is and bought in-hand and ebook copies of Mustich's book, 1000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List. You probably need to buy that book and read it, too.
A wonderful story. Magnificent illustrations. If you love picture books as I do, you really must get a copy and read this book.
And how did I come across this book? Pure serendipity. I found it in my Little Free Library and I thought I'd give it a quick read and put it back in the box. When I opened the book, I began to read a lovely and unexpectedly erudite introduction to a picture book. More serendipity. The introduction is by James Mustich, Jr., founder of A Common Reader, a periodical I adored as a young stay-at-home mom, filled with recommendations of books Mustich had run across and loved. I recently put my money where my mouth is and bought in-hand and ebook copies of Mustich's book, 1000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List. You probably need to buy that book and read it, too.
March 23, 2022
The OG, one of my all time faves!!! Maria was my gay awakening (obviously, have you SEEN that woman). The illustrations are beyond exceptional, shading and library unparalleled and the whole style is so emotive of love and coziness. Zoom is the cutest little guy ever and I love him and the spoons in his feet. Each adventure is so uniquely wonderful, and none grow less magical with adulthood. If I’m feeling sad, I read Zoom.
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May 22, 2023Zoom at Sea
“Zoom love water. Not to drink — he liked cream to drink –Zoom liked water to play with.”
Zoom is a small cat who in the opening pages of this first book straps two wooden spoons to his paws so he can paddle in a sink full of water. This opens up an idea in him to make a small boat for the tub. Lastly he goes into the attic finding several sea-going artifacts and learns that his uncle is a sailor cat and that Zoom does not live very far from the sea.
From there, he meets with his uncle’s former owner, tell her who is, and is invited in. There, she has a giant wooden wheel attached to the wall and when she spins it, it opens up letting in a huge amount of water, sand, and sea creatures. She then opens a bad and lets out all kind of birds from the sea. Zoom gets to play all day and at the end, he thanks her and says he will be back.
The book is delightful and tender. The art style is pencil on white paper, so everything is delicate looking, and has a kind of Chris Van Allsburg element to it, but with the text as well. Zoom is a little white cat, but he’s always dressed in some way — like with a captain’s hat or a scarf. The town itself looks like something out of a Miyazaki film, which perfectly fits the tone of the book. I also have a little cat who is obsessed with water, and it’s always hilarious to watch her be curious and do stupid little things with it.
Zoom Away
In book two, Zoom returns to Maria’s house, his human friend, after spending some time knitting warm clothes. At her house, they go upstairs (North!) so that can go to the North Pole. As they climb the stairs, the stairs become covered in snow, and eventually Zoom has to put snowshoes (ping pong paddles) on his feet to continue walking. Eventually they come to a door called the Northwest Passage, and on the other side is a place for Zoom to go sledding, go ice skating, and see the various Arctic animals. He also comes across a sea-going vessel frozen in the ice with the name The Catship emblazoned on it. When he gets close to it, he finds it empty, but with a note from his Uncle telling him he will be back when the ice melts. Zoom eventually falls asleep and awake in Maria’s house in an armchair near the fire.
This second book is setting up the epic side of it. I am most reminded of the uncle from Fraggle Rock, who is cast an explorer and anthropologist. But in Zoom’s world all the details of the adventure are embedded into the scenery of the house itself, adding a delightful cleverness to it all.
Zoom Upstream
In this final adventure Zoom is lazing around in the fall in Maria’s backyard when he falls asleep. He awake to find himself alone, but there’s a set of footprint leading first to the phone in the kitchen, and then to the library where they end. A beam of light peers out from a bookcase where a book has been removed, and Zoom enters the light to find a secret passage leading down to an underground river with a crate floating in it. He paddles the crate down the river past crocodiles, and ends up in an Egyptian tomb. There he sneaks past ancient Egyptian cats celebrating Bastet, and finds Maria wrapped in gauze like a mummy. He unwraps her and they follow a trail buttons apparently left by Zoom’s uncle, who also escaped ahead of them. They make it outside, see The Catship, now free from the ice, and join the uncle for a bowl of grog, and the promise of more adventure.
“Zoom love water. Not to drink — he liked cream to drink –Zoom liked water to play with.”
Zoom is a small cat who in the opening pages of this first book straps two wooden spoons to his paws so he can paddle in a sink full of water. This opens up an idea in him to make a small boat for the tub. Lastly he goes into the attic finding several sea-going artifacts and learns that his uncle is a sailor cat and that Zoom does not live very far from the sea.
From there, he meets with his uncle’s former owner, tell her who is, and is invited in. There, she has a giant wooden wheel attached to the wall and when she spins it, it opens up letting in a huge amount of water, sand, and sea creatures. She then opens a bad and lets out all kind of birds from the sea. Zoom gets to play all day and at the end, he thanks her and says he will be back.
The book is delightful and tender. The art style is pencil on white paper, so everything is delicate looking, and has a kind of Chris Van Allsburg element to it, but with the text as well. Zoom is a little white cat, but he’s always dressed in some way — like with a captain’s hat or a scarf. The town itself looks like something out of a Miyazaki film, which perfectly fits the tone of the book. I also have a little cat who is obsessed with water, and it’s always hilarious to watch her be curious and do stupid little things with it.
Zoom Away
In book two, Zoom returns to Maria’s house, his human friend, after spending some time knitting warm clothes. At her house, they go upstairs (North!) so that can go to the North Pole. As they climb the stairs, the stairs become covered in snow, and eventually Zoom has to put snowshoes (ping pong paddles) on his feet to continue walking. Eventually they come to a door called the Northwest Passage, and on the other side is a place for Zoom to go sledding, go ice skating, and see the various Arctic animals. He also comes across a sea-going vessel frozen in the ice with the name The Catship emblazoned on it. When he gets close to it, he finds it empty, but with a note from his Uncle telling him he will be back when the ice melts. Zoom eventually falls asleep and awake in Maria’s house in an armchair near the fire.
This second book is setting up the epic side of it. I am most reminded of the uncle from Fraggle Rock, who is cast an explorer and anthropologist. But in Zoom’s world all the details of the adventure are embedded into the scenery of the house itself, adding a delightful cleverness to it all.
Zoom Upstream
In this final adventure Zoom is lazing around in the fall in Maria’s backyard when he falls asleep. He awake to find himself alone, but there’s a set of footprint leading first to the phone in the kitchen, and then to the library where they end. A beam of light peers out from a bookcase where a book has been removed, and Zoom enters the light to find a secret passage leading down to an underground river with a crate floating in it. He paddles the crate down the river past crocodiles, and ends up in an Egyptian tomb. There he sneaks past ancient Egyptian cats celebrating Bastet, and finds Maria wrapped in gauze like a mummy. He unwraps her and they follow a trail buttons apparently left by Zoom’s uncle, who also escaped ahead of them. They make it outside, see The Catship, now free from the ice, and join the uncle for a bowl of grog, and the promise of more adventure.
November 12, 2023
One of my favorite stories
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews