The Zippity Zinger ANNOTATION
The pressure is on when Hank Zipzer is chosen as pitcher for the softball team at Public School 87's annual Olympiad, the most anticipated day of the school year.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Hank LOVES baseball. L-O-V-E-S it! Unfortunately, though, he's not very good at the game. So everyone is surprised--including Hank himself--when Hank throws a zinger pitch at a practice for P.S. 87's annual School Olympiad baseball game. Hank knows how he pitched the "Zippity Zinger"--it must have happened because he accidentally wore his sister Emily's lucky monkey socks! Because of that stellar pitch, Hank has been chosen to pitch for P.S. 87 for the Big Game. The pressure is on--Hank's got to wear those socks again, or risk blowing the biggest ball game of his life. The only problem is, Emily wants to wear the lucky monkey socks herself since she's competing in the Brain Buster for the Olympiad. Will Hank be able to pull off another Zippity Zinger--or will he strike out?
HENRY WINKLER is instantly recognizable and admired by audiences of all ages for his role as the Fonz on the long-running series Happy Days. In addition to his successful acting career, Mr. Winkler is an award-winning producer and director of family and children's programming. Mr. Winkler is deeply committed to children's welfare and works with numerous children's groups. He lives in Los Angeles.
LIN OLIVER has written several books for children. She is the executive director of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in Los Angeles.
FROM THE CRITICS
AudioFile
[Editor's Note: This is a combined review with DAY OF THE IGUANA.]—Life isn't perfect for Hank in THE ZIPPITY ZINGER—school is hard, his teacher is hard, even baseball is hard. However, when he accidentally puts on his sister's "magic" socks, magical things start to happen . . . Henry Winkler's books about Hank are wickedly funny, with outrageous, yet believable, situations relating to Hank's learning disabilities. Even more fun are Hank's lists, and the comments he directs at his audience. Winkler's narration is exceptional. He has the New York accent down pat, and his distinctive voices for all the major characters create wonderful visual images . . . but his Hank is the best. His tone, inflections, comic timing, and pacing all combine to create a fourth-grader who really tries but can't seem to get things right. In DAY OF THE IGUANA, we feel Hank's rising panic as he tries to set the VCR to tape Frankie's movie, but everything flashes by too fast. We understand his relief when he makes things right with Frankie. Elementary students will sympathize with Hank's problems, envy his friends, and cheer him on every stop of the way. Though the characters are somewhat stereotyped, and the messages not so subtle, they're just right for 8-12-year-olds, and Henry Winkler's narration makes a solid book into a gem. W.L.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
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