The first time I saw one of the enticing commercials for Zoobooks I placed a call to the toll-free number for the free sample issue to explore further with my oldest son who at the time was no more than four years of age. We lucked out with that issue, as the theme was Elephants. I am not sure if the issue sent out is the same for every caller, but it was an older issue, which had no bearing on my son’s interest but kind of bothered me at the time.
That first issue has torn pages with tape holding the cover together, thus showing just how often my son has perused one issue of Zoobooks. Since three years ago we were receiving National Geographic, Animals and Ranger Rick, I did not pursue a subscription. Last year a renewed interest from a commercial resulted with another phone call requesting an issue. I had hopes at the time my ex husband would be persuaded to pay for the magazine once it arrived.
Currently the other periodicals my son gets are Reptiles, Nick Jr. and awaiting the arrival of Kid City. He would rather not have the other magazines and anticipates a new arrival as he knows what the coming issue will cover from the back page of the previous issue. The only other arrival that matches this excitement would be the Lego catalog. The issue again was an older one, but on Wild Dogs with a Wolf on the cover.
Each week his class goes to the library and gets to check out one book. My son prefers to borrow issues of Zoobooks with the latest being on Birds of Prey from April 1996. When I sent back the reply card subscribing my son I forgot about the bill for a few months, so there were two issues we did not receive, March and April of 2002. At the time it was expiring in December of 2002 and having now paid it has been extended to February of 2003. One of the missed issues was on the Polar Bear so I intend to call the customer service number to get that one sent and adjust the expiration.
You can use a credit card by calling Zoobooks at 1-800-992-5034 to order a gift subscription or pay for an existing one. They would also like to know the child’s name and birthdate, but since we missed March, which was my son’s birthday month I am not sure what they do for birthdays. Some of the cards inside our issues state twelve issues for $20.95 or $22.95, but I think the cheaper rate was from 1996. I have noticed differences in the back of the issues that were from 1996, 1997 and 2002 according to where it is listed the photograph and art credits and subscription details.
Another option for subscribers is Humphrey’s Hideway over at www.zoobooks.com. This is a safe, secret online hangout just for kids with a password found on the activities page of the current issue of Zoobooks. Located at the site are poems, stories and drawings from kids. They recently had a contest to send in a drawing, poem or story on either Wild Dogs or Turtles to be submitted by April 1, 2002. The current contest due on June 1, 2002 is for either Koalas or Eagles. When something is printed in Zoobooks you received a one-year free subscription, but the work will not be returned and becomes the property of Wildlife Education, Ltd. This is published out of San Diego, Californiacovering nineteen volumes thus far.
The May, 2002 issue of Zoobooks is on Skunks & Their Relatives, with the upcoming June issue profiling Spiders. The series was created by John Bennett Wexo and endorsed by the California Department of Education. There is notation with a few of our older issues that a Scientific Consultant was used. Some of the animals already covered in an earlier issue of Zoobooks include:
Inside each issue of Zoobooks the first page gives a brief overview of the profiled animal alongside a photograph that is covering two pages. With the current skunks issue we learned the hours of daylight and nighttime for them as well as their relatives being the weasel and badger. The illustrations show where they sleep, what they hunt and who hunts them.
The last two pages of each issue are dedicated to the future of the species profiled, where they are found and the people and organizations working to save them. The issue in February of 2002 was on Tigers, where they think only 5,000 remain. For more information on donating to funds that purchase habitat for tigers contact www.worlwildlife.org. The January issue of 2002 was on Owls, a mysterious creature. For the kids’ section they included a pyramid puzzle, showed how to build nest boxes and discussed protecting owls from being hunted by enforcing laws. After seeing an episode of Stanley on the Disney channel my son is now aware of the importance of trees.
The ages of the drawings and poems from kids range in age from six to eleven, showing a wide age range that Zoobooks attracts. The text is geared for adults and children with beautiful photographs and artistry nestled inside this thin monthly magazine. At first it might seem like not much for the money but it is just enough to keep the interest of a child, offering many visits back to issues to see the beauty in each animal.
We go to a support group once a week at a church with the kids in one room with several therapists organizing activities for autistic kids and their siblings while the parents are in the next room discussing school and behavior issues among other parenting dilemmas. Every week my seven year-old can be found at a table going through the collection of Zoobooks that is there for the classes that attend this particular church.
There is an option to become an affiliate at their website as well as ordering the 58-volume hardcover book set for $780.00. Teachers and/or schools can order theme sets like the 13 volume one on Exotic Animals for $32.18 or six titles on Birds for $14.85. The website has separate sections devoted to teachers, parents and kids for further information. At the site now is the offer of $19.95 with a poster of a Bengal tiger, 24 jumbo animal stickers and the Elephant issue. It seems this is the most popular issue ever. Maybe this means I can get a duplicate of our torn issue. There is also a deal for a two-year subscription with a lunch box, although I am not sure who still uses those things.
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