Week 1: Storybook Favorites

The first storybook I looked at was Stories of Jungle Tigers. I chose this initially because the title grabbed my attention. The story begins with an old monkey named Virgil who lives in the African jungle. He is upset that most of his friends have left and he hasn't experienced an adventure in a long time. Suddenly, he comes across a young boy named Sully who lost his parents in the jungle. Virgil is ecstatic when he realizes he can have one last adventure and take the boy back home to meet his family. Virgil tells the boy that on each day of their four day journey he will tell a story that will teach Sully life lessons. I found it interesting that the author told three stories about tigers, but the final story was of Virgil and the boy. Therefore, the beginning of the storybook connected with the conclusion.

The second storybook I found was An Owl's Tale. I enjoyed how the first line was a play off of the bird's call, "who, who, who wants to hear a story." The story is about an owl named Alice who initially lived in the forest and told many stories, but the forest was destroyed and she was left with a broken wing. Alice was found and relocated to an animal preserve with zookeepers. Each day she tried to talk to the zookeepers, but no one could understand her. One day a young boy can finally understand what she is saying. Alice tells the young boy stories of her ancestors. Each story a new character listens to Alice's story. I found it interesting that it turns out Alice's zookeepers actually understood her stories the entire time.

The final storybook I found was Sea Monsters. I picked this storybook because I have a lot of interest for the ocean. The story is about a researcher on the Oceanic Discovery Team (ODT). Stories are told about the legendary Leviathan, Kraken, and Sirens. I liked how the author connected modern technology and evidence to these old legendary sea monster stories. After reading the author's notes beneath each story I realized how much background research the author put into this article. Overall, it was an interesting read.

I enjoyed all three storybooks. I liked how the first two had twists at the end of the story. The last one was an interesting read that intertwined fiction and non-fiction.

Screenshot of the "Kraken" from the Sea Monsters Storybook