Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Zelda and Ivy: The Big Picture
Fiction Series
For ages 5 to 7
Candlewick, 2010 ISBN: 978-0763641801
Zelda and Ivy and their friend Eugene are going to the movie theatre, and Zelda and Eugene are really looking forward to seeing the movie Secret Agent Fox. Ivy is worried that the movie is going to be too scary and she is not comforted when her sister and friend tell her that what takes place in a movie is not real.
When the movie starts, Ivy soon forgets to be afraid. In fact, she is captivated by the action that she is watching on the screen, as is Eugene. Both of them are so interested in the movie that they fail to notice that Zelda, who not long ago said “the scarier, the better,” is not actually watching the movie.
Some time later, inspired no doubt by the movie they saw, Ivy, Zelda, and Eugene decide to be secret agents and “spy on people.” They each choose a secret agent name, they decide on a code word, and then they proceed to spy on Mrs. Brownlie. In their opinion, Mrs. Brownlie is behaving in a suspicious manner. She is wearing goggles while she is mowing her yard, and the three friends are eager to find out why.
In this delightful Zelda and Ivy story, there are three chapters, and in each one Zelda, Ivy and their friend have delightful adventures that children will be able to identify with. The characters are charming, and the stories are perfect for children who are starting to read on their own.
