Dad: Today we’re celebrating
two new books: “I Love Ewe” and “Hug a
Bull”!
Elijah (age 7): I want to tell everyone something. These books are written by my dad.
Dad: Does that seem strange?
Gracie (age 12): It seems normal to me.
Elijah: Lots of dads make books.
Dad: They do?
Gracie: These books would be good for Mother’s Day and Father’s
Day.
Dad: Thanks, “Marketing Department!”
Gracie: You’re welcome.
Isaac (age 14): These are also “learning books.”
Elijah: They are about Daddy and Mommy animals. The books tell you their names.
Dad: So, animal moms and dads have names.
Elijah: Of course they have names!
Dad: Names like “Mac” and “Thorin” and “Darleen”?
Elijah: No those are just the names of my fish. My fish that died.
Elijah: No those are just the names of my fish. My fish that died.
Dad: You’ve had a lot of fish that have died.
Elijah: Yeah. Also my fish
Bob. And Bob 2. And Bob 3.
And Burp.
Dad: So what kind of names are
in these books then?
Lily (age 10): I know! I know! Boy and girl names. They teach you lots of animal names you never
knew before. And some of them are fun to
say – like “Gobbler.” And “Peahen.”
Dad: Let’s all say “Peahen” together.
Elijah: And a mommy octopus is called a “Hen.”
Gracie: The little baby octopus on this page is the cutest little
thing ever! He’s adorable. And I’m falling in love with that little
crab. I love all the little underwater
babies!
Lily: I know another name!
Guess what a mommy cow is called?
A Rhino! Wait – I mean a mommy
rhino is called a Cow.
Dad: Yeah – it doesn’t work in reverse.
Lily: Hee hee hee! A mommy cow is just called a Cow.
Dad: Simple and confusing at the same time.
Isaac: Is a girl goat called a “Hootin’ Nanny” or just a “Nanny”?
Dad: Nanny.
Isaac: Because “Hootin’ Nanny” sounds awesome!
Dad: Well, a hootenanny is like a southern… music… party…
thing. See, I made it into a pun for the
book. There's lots of puns and
wordplay.
Gracie: I hate puns.
Dad: Oh! A glowing
endorsement for these books!
Gracie: I do like the
puns in these. I only hate annoying
puns. Like when they are on Valentines
cards.
Lily: I just made up a rhyme: “The Mayor of Horse / is the Mare
of course.”
Gracie: Dad, you had to draw a horse for this book. You hate drawing horses. Which do you hate more? Drawing horses or cows?
Dad: Cows.
Gracie: And you had to draw cows twice. For the Ewe book and the Bull book.
Dad: I had to do both of them twice. A cow and a horse for each book.
Gracie: Actually even more! Parent cows and baby cows for both books.
Dad: Four of each. Wait
– and then there are cows on the cover too.
And in the charts in back. And
on the title page. Even more!
Gracie: Poor Daddy.
Dad: Six horses and nine cows all together.
Gracie: Nine cows!!!
Lily: I like drawing horses and cows.
Dad: Well, I’ll have you do it next time! I paid my horsie due.
Gracie: Horsie doo? That
sounds disgusting.
Elijah: I never noticed that it’s called “Hug a Bull” and there’s
a Bull on the cover!
Lily: You just thought it was because cows are huggable?
Elijah: They hug and snuggle.
Dad: How do you think cows hug each other?
Gracie: They just rub together awkwardly.
Dad: I had wanted to put an elephant Bull on the cover because
it could hug with its trunk. I think cows
might just stab each other with their hoofs if they tried.
Lily: Ouch.
Dad: I almost put a turkey on the cover and called the book
“Wobbly Gobbler.” That’s what I originally wanted
to do first.
Gracie: That would not have been as good as “Hug a Bull.”
Dad: But it’s so fun to say!
Imagine… “Here’s my book, “Wobbly Gobbler.”
Gracie: It does match the title of your “Chuckling Ducklings” book better.
Lily: (flipping through the pages) Kangaroos! Boinggie – boinggie!
They are so cute!
Lily: (flipping through the pages) Kangaroos! Boinggie – boinggie!
They are so cute!
Gracie: Oh my word! I love
the little possums. Every time I see
your tiny animals, my heart melts into little possum puddles.
Lily: And this page has a baby mole! We actually saw a little tiny mole once. He was so cute! Even though he was dead. Remember when you ran over one with the car in the driveway?
Lily: And this page has a baby mole! We actually saw a little tiny mole once. He was so cute! Even though he was dead. Remember when you ran over one with the car in the driveway?
Gracie: The little donkey baby is adorable.
Lily: He’s got Elijah-hair!
Gracie: He does! He
does! You made the donkeys look like
Elijah! The little donkeys have his hair
and the same expression he gets all the time.
Elijah: “Ee-honk!
Ee-honk!”
Gracie: That is NOT a donkey noise! I don’t know what that was.
Lily: It’s more like a squeaky rocking chair.
Elijah: Next you have to do Grandmas!
Dad: I’m sure there’s a big
list of grandma animal names out there.
Kids: Ha ha ha!
Dad: Well, thanks for the review, guys!
Lily: (Starts rapping)
Pssh -- pssh -- pssh…
This is a book
Which is about
Lots of fuzzy animals
And they love to shout!
It tells all the names
In poems and rhymes
And I love to read them
All of the time!
Dad: Word.
Lily: It’s about Dads and Moms and such
And barely any of them…. are… Dutch!
Kids: Hah ha ha hah…
Dad: How about: Cows can’t hug
But their heads can touch!
Gracie: Yeah!
"Ee-honk!" by Elijah
bull and calf, by Isaac
vixen, kit, and tod; by Gracie
vote Mare for Mayor, by Lily
Author/Illustrator: Aaron Zenz
Published, 2013: Walker Books
Like them? Here they are!
--------
This week, some wonderful blogs have highlighted "I Love Ewe" and "Hug a Bull." I'm so very thankful! I invite you to stop by and leave these folks some thoughtful comments:
Mon May 6: Bookie Woogie
Tue May 7: Reading to Know
Wed May 8: Playing by the Book
Thu May 9: Sharpread
Fri May 10: City Book: Hug and Ewe
Sat May 11: From the Mixed-up Files
Also very cool news! "I Love Ewe" and "Hug a Bull" were featured on my favorite NPR program "A Way With Words"! You can listen to the episode's intro below...
--------
And now time for a Giveaway! Thanks for your support over the years! Just leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered to win one of three prizes:
Prize Pack #1: signed copies of "Hug a Bull" & "I Love Ewe" + three other books I've authored/illustrated: The Chimpanseeze, The Hiccupotamus (new in boardbook!), and Chuckling Ducklings (new in boardbook!)
Prize Pack #2: signed copies of "Hug a Bull" & "I Love Ewe" + three other books I've illustrated: Nugget on the Flight Deck, Skeleton Meets the Mummy, and Five Little Puppies Jumping on the Bed
Prize Pack #3: signed copies of "Hug a Bull" & "I Love Ewe" + an original piece of artwork - crafted specially for you - depicting the animal of your choosing! for example:
To be entered, just leave a comment here!
The Giveaway will run through the end of the month, May 31, when we'll randomly select three winners. Best of luck!
