There's such anticipation for those long, lazy days of summer, but when it finally arrives, Zora, like countless children before her, grows bored. There are only so many times one can ride a bike in loopy circles around the neighborhood. So when Zora circles past the hardware store, she's delighted to spot a new sign that says FREE ZUCCHINI: "Free zoo-kee-nee... Z, like me." She fills her basket with zucchini plants and heads home to plant her treasure. Anyone who has set out more than one zucchini plant in a growing season can guess what happens next. When Zora's family (rendered sweetly in ink and watercolor, then digitally colored) can no longer keep up with her daily zuke harvest, Zora formulates a plan to team up with her zucchini-less (and tomato- and apricot-full) neighbors: a garden swap!
Katherine Pryor and Anna Raff’s second veggie collaboration, following Sylvia's Spinach, is full of the kinds of quiet details that make children return to a book again and again. Zora's orange tabby cat appears on nearly every page, although sometimes readers will have to search for him. See his paw swiping zucchini bread from the dinner table? See him worrying with Zora as she wonders if her "Garden Swap was a Garden Flop?" The book ends with an inspiring note about what to do with an overabundant harvest ("Donate it. Preserve it. Share it.").
Even if readers never plant anything in their lives, Zora's Zucchini satisfies every appetite with its clean, happy storyline and whimsical illustrations. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor