Mighty Zoë
The Misunderstood Parrot
Cute and colorful, the picture book Mighty Zoë is packed with information about green conures.
In Heather Lonczak’s picture book Mighty Zoë: The Misunderstood Parrot, a green-cheeked conure finds a permanent home where the many idiosyncrasies of her species are understood and celebrated by her new forever family.
A mother travels to a pet store, purchases a green conure, and names her Zoë. Though Zoë’s owner sees her as a pet and calls herself “Mama,” Zoë perceives her as a mate. She protects and preens Mama accordingly. Zoë shares the house with two children, a dog, a cat, and eventually, Mama’s gentleman caller.
The story progresses through a litany of details about Zoë and her grooming, eating, and socializing habits within Mama’s home. There’s a great deal of interesting information about Zoë’s species that’s shared in the process. The thought bubbles attached to Zoë contain a sort of animal psychology, helping to make sense of why Zoë might preen her human or be wary of guests. Still, there’s less of a narrative here than there is a species introduction with unexpected facts. The introduction of the man into Mama’s life is the most notable event, and Zoë becomes acclimated to life in Mama’s home without real conflict.
The book’s illustrations capture Zoë’s head tilts, manner of walking, preening motions, and vibrant coloring well, alongside other activities that draw the eye. Their perspectives switch between close-ups and more distant views of rooms, though Zoë is always at their center.
Cute and colorful, the picture book Mighty Zoë is packed with information about green conures, helping to dispel misunderstandings surrounding the jungle bird.
Reviewed by
Camille-Yvette Welsch
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
