ZigZag – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Meet Zigzag, the alligator with synesthesia.
Text/Illus. ©Julie Paschkis
Zigzag liked to taste words.
He liked to hold them in his long
mouth and roll them around.
Swivel was slippery and slightly sour.
In the spread above, we see Zigzag tasting the word, swivel. But we also see a wheel of words starting with the letter “S.” Here, the adult reading this book to a child (or an older child reading this book) might ask the question, “What does swivel taste like?” or “What might these other words taste like? How might their tastes be different?”
Text/Illus. ©Julie Paschkis
Harmonica tasted like honey.
Grackle crackled and was crunchy.
Flinch was sharp and bitter.
Bulb had a thick, purple taste.
There’s no explanation as to why these words taste as they do to Zigzag. The reader is encouraged to enter this visual and aural world of taste, and experience it for themselves. It’s a brilliant introduction to the concept of synesthesia, where someone experiences one sense with another. Here, words not only have a sound, they also have a taste, and sometimes a sense of shape, color, texture, and other feelings that are more intangible.
Text/Illus. ©Julie Paschkis
So what happens when Zigzag meets up with friends and is overcome by the tantalizing word, tambourine, and swallows its vowels, leaving only the tasteless, dull consonants in is mouth? His entire world changes.
Additional word play leaves Zigzag glaring at a bunch of fruit, their names missing all of the vowels. All of the books that Zigzag likes to read are now boring without their vowels. Zigzag finds that his bd is too short, he can’t slp, and there are no swt drms to be had.
Readers then follow Zigzag on his adventures to get those vowels back. And as he reclaims a vowel on each new spread, the words used to tell the story now contain those vowels as well. It is a brilliantly executed concept. The book is also interactive, asking the reader to help capture the last vowel.
But we all know that alligators often can’t contain their voraciousness, especially when they’re tasting the words “seriously happy.” Gulp! Oops, Zigzag, what did you just do?
Paschkis’ author’s note briefly explains synesthesia, comments on the general deliciousness of words, asks the reader if they have any favorite words, and then challenges them to find the words in the author’s note that contain all five vowels.
For older readers, I also think this book is a wonderful exercise in testing their ability to identify specific words when they’re missing vowels. Paschkis’ ink and watercolor illustrations are playful, wonderfully detailed, and luscious like the tasty words contained in the story, and sure to please every reader no matter their age.
Activities:
Make a word list of five or your most favorite words. Write a short poem, perhaps a haiku, using those words. Once it’s written, rewrite the poem without the vowels. Can someone else read and understand your poem without the vowels?
Write another poem that focuses on one of your favorite words, using at least one adjective associated with each of the five senses, taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound to describe that word. For example:
Scrumptious:
is buttery like caramel
stretches like taffy
warms my tongue
smells sweet like donuts
opens with a crackly crust
but contains a smooth ending.
What words would you use to describe Zigzag’s personality? Discuss how his personality affects the way the story ends. Can you think of other stories where the main character makes the same mistake at the end of the story as they do at the beginning? Do the main characters in those stories have personalities that are similar to or different from Zigzag’s?
Make an easy origami alligator or one that’s a little more complex .
Title: Zigzag
Author/Illustrator: Julie Paschkis
Publisher: Enchanted Lion, 2023
Ages: Elementary school+
Themes: synesthesia, words, alphabet
For more perfect picture book recommendations, please visit Susanna Hill’s website .
