Comprised of several independent short stories with life lessons when seen through the eyes of a child (Nell), this was an easy read quite different from something I would normally read. Enjoyable with a moral in each story and written in a simplistic style (but in a good way) akin to how a child views the world. ( )

The Sun Zebra is a collection of five short stories written by R. Garcia. They are wonderful stories about the adventures in the life of a little girl, Nell, and her parents, and are told by her father. Perhaps this does not sound very intriguing, but don’t be fooled. Mr. Garcia writes with heart and humour, drawing the reader in as he cleverly tells his tale in an entertaining way, giving the reader the feeling of being there.

Five stories. Five adventures:

The Sun Zebra – after which the book was named;
Bob the Intrepid Insectnaut!;
Raven-Lenore;
The Meaningless Christmas Tree;
Birdman and the Fairy Tale

The preface begins, “This book is best described as a children’s book for grownups.” – and that’s a great way to begin. Each story inspires the reader to look at the seemingly insignificant things in life a little differently, and challenges one to see through the innocent eyes and understanding of a curious and thoughtful young child. As a delightful and easy read The Sun Zebra is enjoyable, interesting, funny, thought-provoking.

R. Garcia also writes under the pen name of Phantomimic. He has a following on Scribd.com where he shares his work, and which encouraged him to write a book. The Sun Zebra is the result of that decision. It is well worth his effort and a pleasure to read. ( )

Thoughts: Imaginative and refreshingly magical. This is a collection of short story written by a father through the eyes of his child. The first story is the title of the book where little Nell is adamant that she has seen a zebra in the stables but once her parents get there all they see is a regular old horse. She is sad about it and wants to go back each day of until the final day something magical happens, they see the Sun Zebra. It is a book for adults but written in a child-like manner to give a sense of how simple and matter of fact life is for a child. It has in its essence the purity and innocence of youth. It covers topics of life, death, charity, and love. It is a great reminder to remember the simplicity and honesty of youth. At one point the father has to explain death to the child and where people go and he states that as adults we carry the burden of truth for them because they aren't quite capable of dealing with it themselves. However, after seeing the world through Nell's eyes, I think they are able to deal with things a lot better than adults. Nell's honesty and realizations are beautiful. My favorite story is the Christmas Tree, where Nell has entered a tree decorating contest and goes around looking at the other entrants until she comes to this scrawny ugly tree with random stuff on it. Nell tells the owner that his tree is ugly and that her tree is pretty. His reply stumps her when he asks her the meaning of her tree. I really liked the life lesson in this story. Overall, this is a cute read for anyone that wants a touch of that childhood magic, even just for a moment.3.5 stars ( )

For my complete review visit http://amindwandering.blogspot.com

The Sun Zebra by Rolando Garcia is a charming little anthology written by a father enchanted with his young daughter, an exploration into the vibrant world of a child's imagination. Only 66 pages long, it's a quick read as we encounter with little Nell a family farm awash in a vibrant sunset; a aeronautically challenged cicada, a balloon and a kindly ornithologist; a bold and intrepid squirrel invoking Edgar Allen Poe; a Charlie Brown Christmas tree seemingly outshone by the competition; and an artist in a park particularly tuned in to the world of fairies. Each experience provides Nell a new opportunity to teach her parents (and us) important lessons in life, or, at the very least, inspire contemplation in daughter and introspection in dad.

Mr. Garcia writes in an easy, conversational style: Hey, how ya doin'? Come on out to the deck, grab a Coke, and shoot the breeze while the kids chase each other around the yard. Each vignette left a smile on my face, and Birdman and the Fairy Tale made me laugh out loud so the other people in the doctor's waiting room eyed me funny. ( )