Thought For The Day

Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he finishes the job he starts.

Quote by Coleman Cox

What Animals Do You Want to See in Zoobooks?

Subscribers have recently received issues on Cheetahs, Dolphins, and even Animal All-stars. Do you have specific titles you are watching for in your mailbox? Let us know what you're looking for, so we can be sure we've got your favorites covered!

Cover Time! Help Us Choose

We've got some great cover photo options for our upcoming Alligators issue--would you like to weigh in on our choices?

20 Questions Awards

We have a great feature on our website for kids called "20 Questions." After kids read their Zoobooks issue, they can check out this web page to find out how much they've learned. When they're successful answering the questions, they're rewarded with funny animal jokes. But we're thinking of taking this one step further: what do you think of offering them a printable Achievement Certificate instead--or in addition? We'd like to hear your thoughts.

What Do You Look For in Photos?

Zoobooks demonstrates many things using photography. We often try to show specific animal behaviors or their connection to humans, but we also want to inspire readers with an animal's natural beauty. Which would you like to see more of in Zoobooks?

See our new ZooTube!!!

Here is a video link to our ZooTube site that has some cool vids:

See this cool video about spinner dolphins on Zootube:
Click here to view.

Snail Mail vs. Email

Both Zoobooks and Zootles readers have the chance to get their original artwork displayed in the Kids Zooworks section of our website--but the format in which we accept this artwork is very different for each magazine. Zoobooks readers send in their original drawings by regular mail. Zootles readers can only send computer scans via email. Do you see a benefit or hindrance in one delivery over another? Any suggestions?

Help Us Choose a Cover Photo!

It's that time again...we are ready to choose a new cover photo for our upcoming Zoobooks, Cheetahs. Which one should it be?

Dolphins Swimming Your Way!

The upcoming Zoobooks title is Dolphins & Porpoises!!

And if you want to be "one fin up" on your child, try the Zoobooks Ocean Quiz Game to test your knowledge (and maybe learn a thing or two).

www.zoobooks.com/zootube

Have you ever checked out this link? We're looking for reviewers who can let us know how our live-action links are working for our readers and their families. Does it add to your Zoobooks experience to have a real wild animal sounding off in your living room?

Anyone For a Contest?

Kids Zooworks is very popular among our readers. We often receive 800 drawings, stories, and poems from children every month. But what about contests for parents? As an adult, do you have any interest in submitting your animal photography for display on our website? We'd love to hear from you.

A New Zoobooks Mascot?

Otto and Allie are the much-beloved mascots of Zootles. We are considering adding a mascot to Zoobooks. Is this something older children can still appreciate? What kind of mascot personality do you see them relating to?

Help Us Choose a Zootles Cover Photo!

Which photo do you think would make a better cover for our upcoming Zootles issue on zebras? Place your vote now!

All Aboard the Next eSafari!

Have you tried our e-newsletter yet? We'd love to know what you think about the projects and fun opportunities we're providing the kids. Is there specific information you're not seeing here that you'd like to see? What do you think of the frequency of our once-every-two-week eSafari treks? Try www.zoobooks.com/safari to weigh in your opinion!

Thoughts for the Day

"What is the good of having a nice house, without a decent planet to put it on?" --Henry David Thoreau

"Anyone who thinks the sky is the limit, has a limited imagination." --Anonymous

"It is never too late to be what we might have been." --George Eliot

Do you have any inspirational favorites you'd like to share?

Digital Issues Now Available!

We get excited about upcoming Zoobooks issues just like your kids do. Why wait? Check out www.zoobooks.com/digital-subscription.asp, and you'll get a full, unabridged look at the new Zoobooks and Zootles issues coming up in November. Let us know not only what you think of the issue, but how you feel about having sneak peeks like this on a regular basis.

Should pandas be allowed to go extinct?

Conservationists all over the world are working hard to save animals. But is that always the best idea? One scientist has come forth with the very controversial claim that giant pandas should be allowed to die out in the wild. Check out this Reuters article on the subject, and let us know what you think.
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE58L1P320090922

Have You Tried Our New FREE Audio Zootles?

Have you pressed the free audio download button at the top of this page yet? We are eager to hear what you thought of the download process, and what you or your child thought of your free audio version of Zootles Frogs. What parts did your family like best? The frog "music"? Quirky Otto, always inserting his wry comments? Tell us, too, if keeping up with the narrator was easy or hard. We want our free downloads to serve you better and better!

Dolphin Ancestry

Dolphins have an interesting history...their ancestors are thought to have been land-dwelling animals that looked sort of like wolves. Would you be interested in seeing more on the history and development of dolphins and other animals in the Zoobooks series?

Help Us Choose a Cover Photo!

One of the fun parts of putting a magazine together is choosing the cover photo. It can often be wonderfully difficult to narrow down the choices! What do you think of these two images here for the cover of our upcoming November issue, Dolphins? We'd love to hear your artistic opinion.

Digital Sneak Peeks

We are strongly considering making a digital version of Zoobooks available on our website in advance of each month's printed issue. How does this strike you? We hope it will whet our readers' appetites, and stir up even greater anticipation for their printed issue. But should we be concerned that this will make the printed issue "old news" when it arrives? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Animal All Stars

The ostrich lays a bigger egg than any other bird in the world. In our upcoming Zoobooks issue, Animal All-Stars, we have a couple of choices as to how to demonstrate this amazing egg. First, we can show an ostrich egg juxtaposed with a tiny hummingbird egg. Or, we can show how a single ostrich egg has been known to feed as many as 8-10 people by showing the egg in relation to a table full of people. (The Bushmen of Africa have always been careful to harvest one egg for food while leaving another in the nest to ensure a continued healthy ostrich population.) Which sounds more intriguing to you?

New at Germany's Dortmund Zoo

The Los Angeles Times combines facts with fascination in this charming story about some new lion cubs at the Dortmund Zoo in Germany. The little guys are pretty doggone (or should we say catgone?) irresistible. Did you know that all females in a lion pride work together to protect and feed all the cubs? Because multiple females can catch more food than a single mother could catch, all of the babies eat better and stay healthier. Let us know if you have any interesting lion cub info you'd like to add to what we can learn here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/02/lion-cubs.html

The Top Ten Animal Movies of All Time

What should they be? And what are your favorites? Following is a list of beloved animal movies nominated by Animal Planet as the best critter features of all time. Do you feel they forgot anything? Right away we ask, what about Charlotte's Web?

10. Dr. Doolittle (1998)
9. That Darn Cat (1965)
8. Free Willy (1993)
7. Eight Below (1996)
6. The Jungle Book (1994)
5. The Yearling (1946)
4. Fly Away Home (1996)
3. Babe (1995)
2. The Black Stallion (1979)
1. Old Yeller (1957)

Disappearing Act of the World's 2nd Largest Fish Explained

Science Daily magazine is reporting that basking sharks--second in size only to whale sharks--have been discovered "hiding out" for half the year in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic. Until now, no one knew why the sharks "disappeared" during the winter months, or where they went, but new satellite-based tagging technology has determined that they are migrating at depths of 200-1,000 meters--which explains how they have gone undetected in the past. For more details, check out the full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507121953.htm