OZZY THE OSTRICH

Ozzy is about to be a mother when lions arrive for an attack!

This Spanish import starts as a quiet, repetitive counting book, as first one, then two, then “three ostriches found three flowers.” The counting motif continues as one, then two, then “three lions saw three ostriches, licked their lips and their whiskers and claws, and thought: YUM! YUM! YUM!” But then there is a break in the pattern. Ozzy, the first ostrich, lays her egg, spies the predatory lions, and angrily yells: “Nah-nana-naa-nah…Not you, nor you, nor you can get this egg!” There is an anxious moment when the lions advance toward the three large birds, but at Ozzy’s “whistle” command, “the big birds buried their heads in the sand.” At Ozzy’s second signal, their heads come up, and they shout: “BOO!” The effect of this action is quite bizarre; the lions are so frightened that one “turned white,” the second “lost all of his fur,” and the last lion’s “teeth fell out.” There are more physical transformations in store, and the lions actually become friends with the ostriches, until three new lions appear. Who can save the friends from these new enemies? Humorous paintings, full of action and set in an imaginary African savanna, accompany a silly but rhythmic text that sometimes sounds like a folk tale. It is also available in Spanish as El Avestruz Mariluz.

An amusing trifle for those that like animal stories.