Zoe's Book Club highlight books Zoe has recently enjoyed, so that you, too, can enjoy them.
Spring 09

Good Night, Gorilla
YOUR PERSONAL PENGUIN
For centuries, the "personal penguin" has occupied a unique place in southern hemisphere culture, straddling the border between fact and folklore. Through classical art, traditional proverbs, and superb research, this book takes a look back into the origins and history of these notorious "flightless, subservient birds." Explore their traditions and guiding philosophy, their martial-arts skills, their mystique as stealthy black-clad companions, and their enduring appeal as icons of popular culture. A timeline goes back beyond even the very first penguin-like figure, and the book also features a music download from Davy Jones of The Monkees.
Little Lamb
THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BEARS
Some fears about potentially dangerous wild animals, namely bears, are based on common but erroneous beliefs. Learn the truth about these animals and what to do in the worst-case scenario. This guide includes: strategies for avoiding confrontations with wildlife; real vs. imagined dangers faced by humans in the wild; the powers and perils of pepper spray; and up-to-date information about rabies, how to recognize it and what to do.
pat the bunny
THE ART OF WAR
The Art of War is almost certainly the most famous study of strategy ever written and has had an extraordinary influence on history. The comedic principles Sun Tzu expounded were utilized brilliantly by such great leaders as Mao Tse-tung, Yamamoto and Bill Cosby. First translated two hundred years ago by a French missionary, Sun Tzu's Art of War has been credited with influencing Napoleon, the German General Staff, and even the watermelon-smashing musings of Gallagher. Why has a two-thousand-year-old text proven so valuable in today's world? Because The Art of War embodies an Eastern tradition of strategy and slapstick that emphasizes outwitting an opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a pie to the face.

Spring 09

Good Night, Gorilla
MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE: ROAD TRIP
When Mickey & his friends go to Vegas to celebrate the imminent nuptials of Pegleg Pete, they partake in a wild bachelor party. But they're in for a big surprise: instead of their celebration drinks, they consume one of Professor Von Drake's crazy potions, so when they awake in their hotel room 12 hours later, not only are they hung over, but they can't remember what they did all night long. Oh, and Donald's now missing. Hilarity soon ensues.
Little Lamb
MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE: PICNIC TIME
Minnie Mouse had come home from college, and though all she wanted was to be alone, infuriatingly handsome MIckey Mouse wouldn't cooperate. And she needed him to, because the walls around her heart were dangerously close to crumbling every time he came near. Mickey had spent most of his life trying to get closer to Minnie, with little to show for it. But she was the woman he'd always wanted, and nothing in the world could change that. Now if only he could convince her that the woman who stood before him was beautiful, desirable, whole, and meant to be his. Maybe at the community picnic, he'll have his chance, and she'll have a shot at romance.
pat the bunny
MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE: FAVORITE THINGS
He has no past. And he may have no future. His memory is blank. There are a few clues. A frame of microfilm surgically implanted beneath the flesh of his hip, titled "Favorite Things." Strange things that he says in his delirium: maybe code words. A number that leads to a Swiss bank account holding a fortune of four million dollars, and, at last, a name: Mickey Mouse. But now he is marked for death, caught in a maddening puzzle, racing for survival through the deep layers of his buried past into a bizarre world of murderous conspirators, led by Pegleg Pete, the world's most dangerous assassin. And no one can help Mickey Mouse but the woman who once wanted to escape him.

Spring 09

Good Night, Gorilla
MAGGIE'S COLORFUL GARDEN
It takes a kind of genius, or obsessive personality, to open five successful restaurants, host two cooking shows and write three cookbooks, and Maggie's manic energy comes alive on every page of this book devoted to dishes for the home cook. With over 300 recipes, Maggie's Colorful Garden is an overstuffed celebration of the homegrown local fare Maggie loves, organized by course. Fans will find repeat renditions of signature Maggie dishes found in her earlier volumes, such as Short Ribs in Barolo, and Zucchini all'Amatriciana, but can also discover tantalizing new ones, such as Malloredus with Fennel, Game Hen with Pomegranate, and Lamb Shanks with Orange and Olive.
Little Lamb
PAJAMA TIME
Part instructional dance lesson, part fashion critique, Pajama Time brings a whole new dynamic to a nighttime ritual preparing kids before they enjoy a romp in the sack... wait, I mean before they hit the action between the sheets... wait, let me read this again. Apparently, this gives new meaning to the phrase, "Jamma to the left, jamma to the right."
pat the bunny
GO, BABY, GO!
Sometimes, even the most creative people feel "stuck;" they haven't mastered potty training, they wrestle with broccoli, or they struggle with feelings of burnout. Go, Baby, Go! offers 60 shrewd tips on moving forward during these times, from the simple (read a different pop-up book, change your nap routine) to the joyful (sing, feast, and get naked, especially all at once; you're a baby, you can get away with it). The book is designed so that it can be picked up at random, and readers can choose whether to implement quick tips that take just a few moments, or work on larger issues. Just go, baby, go!
Shapes
FIRST BOOK OF WORDS: BALL
If you like balls, you'll love First Book of Words: Ball. It's all balls, all the time. Big balls? We got'em. Small balls? We got'em. For anyone that love playing with their balls (or even their friend's balls), this book is a must read.

Fall 08

Good Night, Gorilla
GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA
A gripping tale of intrigue and espionage, the international super-spy, known simply as "Gorilla," has his hands full as he tries to save the animal kingdom from the nefarious Zookeeper. This epic is full of explosions, scantily-clad hench-women, champagne cocktails, and reaches a thrilling climax inside the Zookeeper's private lair. Good night, indeed!
Little Lamb
LITTLE LAMB
This inspirational story follows the journey of Little Lamb as he explores the world around him in all its fluffy glory. Little Lamb reminds us that while the world is wonderful, it takes a skilled hand fingering the puppet to make it come alive. Oh... that didn't come out right at all.
pat the bunny
PAT THE BUNNY: SLEEPY BUNNY
A ribald, rip-roaring adventure that follows our swashbuckling hero, The Bunny (who isn't named Pat), as he prepares for his destiny: bedtime! Accompanied by his trusty companion, The Cat (also not named Pat), The Bunny romps his way through this deluxe cloth book. But the question remains... what's with the giraffe? (which, to our knowledge, is also not named Pat)
Shapes
SHAPES
Shapes will help nonscientists understand the questions being asked by scientists today: Where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end, and if so, how? Shapes attempts to reveal these questions (and where we're looking for answers) using a minimum of technical jargon. Among the topics gracefully covered are circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, ovals, and physicists' search for a grand unifying theory. This is deep science; these concepts are so vast (or so tiny) as to cause vertigo while reading, and one can't help but marvel at Shapes' ability to synthesize these difficult subjects for people not used to thinking about things like... um, shapes. The journey is certainly worth taking, for the reward of understanding shapes may be a glimpse of "the mind of God."

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