The Zoo Mystery
Your child’s name and face on every page.
How it works
- Add your child’s name and photo.
- Personalise the story: add a family member, pet or favourite toy.
- Preview it before you pay.
- You receive it in the mail in about 2 weeks.
The story
A new baby has arrived at the zoo, but a bunch of balloons is hiding who it is. your child and their friend follow the animals' clues, from treetops to mud puddles to the waterhole, to solve the mystery.
Look inside Poppy’s copy
Poppy and Sophie were excited for their day at the zoo. They had barely made it through the gates when something caught their eye.
A big sign announced a new baby animal had arrived, but a bunch of balloons bobbed across the most important part. Poppy tried peeking underneath. Sophie looked from the side. They still couldn’t see who it was.
“I wonder who the new baby is,” said Sophie.
A rustle came from above. A spider monkey dropped into view and peered at them upside down.
“Are you trying to see the new baby?”
“Do you know what it is?” Poppy asked.
“Nope. But everyone’s talking about it. I did hear the new baby is very big.”
“Very big…” Sophie murmured.
They wandered on, looking for something very big.
Then Sophie stopped and pointed. High above them stood a giraffe, fast asleep on her feet.
“She’s sleeping standing up!” said Poppy.
“WAKE UP!” the girls called together.
The giraffe’s ear gave a sleepy twitch.
“Is the new baby a giraffe?” asked Poppy.
What happens in the book
A big sign at the zoo gates says a new baby animal has arrived, but a bunch of balloons is covering the picture. So your child sets off to find out who it is, asking every animal along the way. A spider monkey hanging upside down has heard the baby is very big. A giraffe asleep on her feet adds that it is grey. A rhino rolling in the mud says it loves splashing in water, and a hippo with only her eyes above the pool says it has enormous ears. Big, grey, loves water, enormous ears: it must be an elephant. At the waterhole they find a little round set of footprints leading to a pile of hay, and out pops a baby elephant, who sprays them with water before they trumpet goodbye.
How your child gets into the book
You upload one photo, and the child solving the mystery on every page is drawn to look like them. Their name is in the text throughout. They can explore the zoo with a brother, sister, cousin or best friend, who is drawn and named too, or on their own.
Building the book takes about three minutes, and you see the illustrated pages before deciding whether to order.
What you get
- 32 pages, 21 cm square, in paperback or hardcover
- 170gsm silk paper with a matte-laminated cover
- Written for children aged 2 to 12
- Printed and posted in Australia. Delivery $9.95, free on orders over $75
- The photo you upload is deleted once your child's character is drawn
Questions parents ask
Do I need a photo of my child?
No. A photo gives the closest likeness, but you can describe your child instead and we will draw them from that.
Can two children be in the book?
Yes. Add a sibling, cousin or friend and the two of them solve the mystery together, both named and illustrated. Leave them out and your child explores the zoo on their own.
Which animals are in the book?
A spider monkey, a giraffe, a rhino, a hippo and an elephant with her new baby. Each one gives a real clue, like the rhino rolling in mud to keep cool.