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Dr. Vona B. Shodja, PhD, MHS, CSC is a children's book author, wellness educator, intuitive artist, Down syndrome advocate, and mom to three kids, including Zahra (who her book 'Zee Zee Does It Anyway' is based on). She is a perpetual learner. She loves nature, baking healthy desserts with her kids, making messy art, an drinking mocha lattes with too much cream!
Reviewed by Alex Ndirangu for Readers' Favorite
Most of us have 46 chromosomes from our mother and father. Chromosomes are structures that carry information about who we are. But have you ever met anyone with 47 chromosomes? If you haven't met a person with this trait, known as Down Syndrome before, you will now. Meet Zee Zee. She is one of every 700 children in the United States who received the bonus chromosome. Down Syndrome poses challenges, but that doesn't mean Zee Zee can't have an exciting life. She also has incredible abilities. Due to her low muscle tone, Zee Zee is super flexible and can do astonishing body tricks that leave you in awe. Grab a copy of Zee Zee Does It Anyway by Vona B. Shodja to learn more about Down Syndrome and how it steps up Zee Zee's game.
The word choices in Zee Zee Does It Anyway are simple which will make it easy for children to understand its main theme and learn the moral lessons they need while growing up. We are all different in unique ways. As we grow older, we meet people of various heights, skin tones, and hair colors. We even deal with various medical conditions that call for different treatments. We cannot control this. But we can control how kind, genuine, and positive we are, even when situations do not turn out as we had hoped. Zee Zee leads by example, and you can feel her voice encouraging you to greet those friends you have ignored for a long time and even laugh at a joke you once took seriously.
Zee Zee's story is made realistic through the colorful, vibrant images that capture the relevant events in her life and the various emotions she feels in those moments. Zee Zee is funny, imaginative, and joyful when playing. You will love the make-believe adventures and games she has with her two brothers. I loved how Zee Zee always won at hide-and-seek and zoomed around like a superhero. I hope Vona B. Shodja writes a sequel to this fascinating, educational read ideal for both adults and children.
