{Book Review} Ambition's Not An Awful Word


This inspiring and hilarious tale contains humorous rhymes that compare and contrast astoundingly vivid visions of achievement with the challenges and difficulties that children encounter in real life. The story focuses on young Zack Zage, who’s “busting his buttons” with excitement to speak to the class even though he’s stuck at the end of the alphabet. He can’t wait to tackle even the most mundane tasks with the fervor of a wildcat. “What I want to be” is the question of the day for Mrs. Grundy’s fourth grade class.
  • An astronaut! Of course! - But the cheese on the moon turned out to create a sticky situation. And Mrs. Grundy wasn’t amused.
  • How about a chef? - But the only thing Zack has ever cooked is a weenie on a campfire.
  • Perhaps he’d try being a cowboy? - But not until all the stalls are cleaned and the work is done.
Ambition's Not An Awful Word will have you and your kids laughing out loud. The nimble verse is attention getting and memorable. The illustrations by Adam Watkins are fabulous and provocative. And, there is a tongue-in-cheek glossary that is unforgettably funny. This book is a gift to all the parents who have struggled to stay awake while reading a bedtime story to the kids.

 
The kids and I sat down, and really enjoyed Ambition's Not An Awful Word! The boys laughed at all of the wild dreams of Zack, and loved the page about becoming a Chef. My youngest asked if he too could become an astronaut, due to the rocket ship that was illustrated on the page! (The illustrations are bold, and draw you right in!) As, I mom I knew the wording was geared toward an older grade school child, but the great news...there is a glossary at the end of the book! The boys and I looked up every word that they didn't understand, and really took our time enjoying looking up all of the new words! The book is fantastic, and reminds us all to follow our dreams. The writing and illustrations can be enjoyed at any age, and your fourth grader will love this book!

About the Creators

Zack Zage grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has an undergraduate degree in Economics from Duke and an MBA from UNC - Chapel Hill. He was a corporate banker, custom home builder, horse trainer & judge (hunter/jumper/equitation), and the inventor of: PLAY IT SMART - Chicago Tribune's 10th Anniversary Top 10 Game of the Year 1993 and NICKEL & DIME POOL - Family Fun Magazine's 1994 Best Game of the Year.

Adam Watkins graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 2004, where he majored in Illustration. Included in his many awards are the 2004 Best in Show CCAD Art of Illustration Show and a 2006 Gold Addy Award.



* I was not compensated for this review. I received a hard cover copy of the book for my personal review, to share my thoughts and opinions.
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Comments

  1. Liz MaysAugust 27, 2012 at 7:15 AM

    Oh I like the idea of exploring the things one could be, and the illustrations look wonderful!

    ReplyDelete

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