Help ZigZag the alligator get his vowels back in this playful picture book from beloved author-illustrator Julie Paschkis!

There's nothing ZigZag enjoys more than tasting his words as he uses them, plays with them, and enjoys them, for ZigZag is a lover of words! But one day, excited and energized, he gulps down all his vowels while exploring and enjoying the word "tambourine." Without A, E, I, O, and U, ZigZag's life is turned upside-down: no more lovely tambourines, only tasteless and dull tmbrns; no more tart green apples, only disappointing ppls. Poor ZigZag can't even get any sleep in his comfy, cozy bed, which is now a too short bd. But vowels are all around ZigZag, from his grandmother's satisfied "Aaahs" to his best friend Beanie's amazed "Ooohs." Can you help ZigZag find his vowels again?

This is a wonderful romp through language that reminds readers to taste their words, even at the risk of swallowing them--for how else to know if they are sweet or bitter; salty, crunchy, or smooth? It is also a companion volume, with a twist, to Paschkis's The Wordy Book.

“This cheery story about delighting in words and wordplay will appeal to readers who enjoy increasing their vocabularies and testing the sounds and feels of new terms… Paschkis incorporates numerous [words] in her illustrations… these gambol gleefully throughout her colorful, lively artwork featuring all-animal characters and intricate patterns. A veritable feast for word connoisseurs.” —Kirkus