Book Details
Publisher: Putnam
Reading Age: 7+
Interest level: 5+
Pages: 32
Published: 1992
A funny tale. Tarzanna lives in harmony with the animals of the jungle. She befriends Gerald, a boy who is studying spiders, and teaches him to speak “animalese.” She visits his home in the city, but she misses the animals. When they take a trip to the zoo, the caged creatures cry out for help, the couple releases them, and they all romp through the downtown area. Dismayed with their vagabond existence, however, Tarzanna seeks the President’s help. They find the President being held hostage, and the animals rescue him. The zany adventure ends with the whole gang returning to the jungle. The spare text is rollicking fun and begs to be read aloud. The double-page watercolor illustrations are suitable for group sharing yet detailed enough to enthrall lap readers. The muted earth tones and soft images in the jungle scenes contrast with the drab secondary colors of the urban center. The comic characters visually re-create and extend the story. Tarzanna is an imaginative yarn that’s bound to please.
