Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Zoo

  • Wild Abandon

    Wild Abandon

    Wild Abandon is a novel of modern times reflecting on the damage of the past, and is certainly not one for the faint hearted. Almost mesmeric in style, the fascination with the torturous plot becomes almost addictive as we join with Will as he arrives in New York, heartbroken and in need of change in his life.

    Nothing in Australia is right; his family is pressuring him, he feels depressed after his relationship failed, he needs a change and has made the decision to say yes to anything that is offered him. He is a somewhat self-pitying young man and although feels he is able to take on life’s challenges, sadly he is ill prepared for the journey about to be undertaken.

    In his case it is a ‘be careful what you wish for’, as he meets up with Vietnam Vet Wayne Gage, an exotic animal collector and spirit guide, a man who is damaged, who is on a headlong pathway to destruction.

    So much of the story is relevant to the life of so many young people seeking alternatives through the world of drugs and alcohol, both of which are laced lavishly throughout the work, as is the ‘second’ part of the novel based on a real life event that occurred in Zanesville, Ohio on 19 October 2011.

    Bitto has combined both elements with a rare skill, that while the storyline is not at all complex, reflects the self-indulgent cruelty that is prevalent in today’s world, particularly so with the establishment of many ‘private’ zoos, a phenomena of the post-Vietnam era and the craving for some form of identity or recognition.

    Wild Abandon is a challenging read; confrontational and tragic as the life of two people play out in such a depressing and destructive manner. Perhaps a good summation is looking forward, looking back, two side of an equation both of which reflect how little we understand the psychology of who we a really are as a human race.

  • Noah Wild and the Floating Zoo

    Noah Wild and the Floating Zoo

    Noah Wild and the Floating Zoo is a whimsical tale about a little boy and his sister who thought it would be better than wonderful to have their own private zoo; to them it would be a dream come true and when it did, well, this is what happened.

    Noah Wild and his sister Hatty live with the Aunt Smiley, while their parents are away climbing mountains, doing what they do best to earn a living to support their family. They also have an Uncle called uncle Loafy, who also loved to smile a lot and made the best loaves of bread they have ever tasted. He also has a false leg made of cork.

    Now, as it turns out, Uncle Loafy owned a zoo, because one day he met a man  who no longer wanted the Zoo, because he was going to live in Australia, so gave it to Uncle Loafy, who while he loved animals did not like to see them in captivity. His friend who had been looking after the animals while Uncle Loafy was at sea, wanted to retire and so the problem was how best to go about returning the animals to the places they originated from, in the easiest possible manner.

    Noah, Hatty, Aunt Smiley, Uncle Loafy and a troublesome monkey, as well as the animals set sail on a round the world adventure to take the animals back to their home countries. Old fashioned in the best sense of the words, Noah Wild and the Floating Zoo is a rollicking good yarn, simply presented, ideal for the young reader who enjoys a jolly good story from a master storyteller.

    Hard covered with a wraparound dust jacket, as all good books should have, with lovely illustrations from Nicola Kinnear, Noah Wild and the Floating Zoo has been perfectly timed for Christmas giving.

  • Jumbo: The Most Famous Elephant Who Ever Lived

    Jumbo: The Most Famous Elephant Who Ever Lived

    Jumbo’s story is a true and complete description of the life of this huge elephant. It is aimed at older children and adults and is complemented by factual information along the way. The text is dense, the font is quite small and some of the issues addressed are quite complex.

    The story begins with the birth of Jumbo in a corner of South Africa more than 150 years ago. He was captured by local hunters who sold animals to Europeans. Zoos were opening all over the world, and wild animals were in demand, so Jumbo was led across deserts and finally reached Paris. From here he went to the London Zoo where he entertained adults and children for many years. His adventures did not end there because he was eventually sold to PT Barnum Circus, where he continued to perform and entertain.

    The pages of this book are filled with illustrations of a huge variety of animals and birds. There is a double page spread comparing an African elephant to an Indian elephant. The large amount of information means that this is a book to be kept and read for many years. Issues such as animal welfare and zoo standards can lead into discussions of value for children.

    After a tragic death, Jumbo’s bones were on display in an American Museum. Gradually circuses have stopped using wild animals in acts. Jumbo: The Most famous Elephant Who Ever Lived would be a great reference book for students or animal lovers in general.

  • Baby’s First Jailbreak

    Baby’s First Jailbreak

    We first met Baby, aka Frank, when he staged his Bank Heist, not all that long ago, narrowly missing going to jail by agreeing to pay back all the money he stole, at least his parent do, by opening a Zoo at their house, because Frank could not stop buying pets.

    Meercats, rhinoceros and so many more animals came to live at their house, that soon they were famous and lots of people came to visit Franks Zoo. But before long, the crowds of people were not coming to Franks Zoo any more, but going further down the road to spoilt Baby Bruce’s place, where he had more animals than Frank. But they were not happy animals, as they were not loved and cared for like Franks were.

    One night a penguin from Baby Bruce’s Zoo escaped and came to Franks bedroom asking for help, but what was he to do; stage break out of course! And make a very cunning and clever plan as well.

    Helping all the animals escape from Bruce’s Zoo is somewhat of a huge task which, as in the first slightly madcap adventure from Jim Whaley and Stephen Collins, takes on a life of its own until all the animals are rescued in Baby’s First jail Break.

    Flowing across the pages in gentle rhyming text, Baby’s latest adventure into the world of almost terribly naughty, is full of fun, laughter, wonderful illustrations, along with hilarious antics and will be one of those books that are read over, and over, and over and over again. And that’s just before the lights are put out for the night.

    Great fun!

  • Marge and the Great Train Rescue

    Marge and the Great Train Rescue

    Marge is once again on duty and in charge of Jakey and Jemina in her latest series of adventures, which could only happen with Marge as your babysitter and an entire world in which to have adventures. This time though she is somehow involved with a train rescue, yep, that’s right, a train rescue, when a train sort, of somehow, gets confused and has to stop on the track to make way for a cow.

    Marge and the children are given tickets to take the train on an outing to the Zoo. Marge makes a promise to Jakey, who is mad about trains, that he can certainly drive the train. Things go wrong almost immediately when they try to enter the driver’s cabin. The conductor gets very cross indeed and so they try a disguise, which somehow is not too good. It looks like Marge cannot make good on her promise that is until the train has to stop for cow on the track, and once again Marge, with her amazing magic, comes to the rescue.

    But that was after the terrible tale of the missing tooth and before they reached the Zoo, which was when things really got to be funny and zany and so much fun!

    Isla Fisher with her zany sense of the ridiculous and Eglantine Ceulemans, with her wonderfully cartoon-like portraits of Marge and the children,  a have once again bought her flamboyantly to life in another series of outlandish adventures which are perfectly designed to appeal ,not just to children, but to the child in us all.

    Well scripted for early readers and young readers discovering their first serious chapter book, there will be smiles all around as the children in your life relate to Marge in charge once again, with chaos all around, wild adventure and a good dose of hilarity ruling the day.