Author and Illustrator David Hoobler brings his new book, Zonk and the Gray Whales’ Birthday Party, to the Mt. View Art Festival

Mt. View Arts Festival, Saturday Sunday and September 7 and 8, 2013. Bay Area picture book author and illustrator David Hoobler unveils his brand new book, Zonk and the Gray Whales’ Birthday Party, at this year Arts Festival. Mr. Hoobler will be displaying his beautiful paintings and prints, and will autograph books for parents and children. The event is free and children will receive a free Zonk bookmark with each book.

Zonk joins the “biggest” birthday party in the world in this humorous and lavishly illustrated book. This is book three in the Zonk Series with 25 new paintings, artwork on almost every page! In this story, Zonk is homesick after his long adventure in the Sea of Cortez and tries to find his way back. Along the way he encounters a whale birthday celebration, feather-like nudibranchs (sea slugs) who cleverly form themselves into birthday hats and a reef in which he plays hide n’ seek. He also meets up with a nesting leatherback sea turtle and an albatross.

Zonk is an adventurous little Sonoran Desert tortoise that decides he wants to be a sea turtle. The three-book Zonk series traces the adventures of Zonk as he follows his dreams to Baja California and the Sea of Cortez. The Zonk books appeal to children 2-12 years of age. They are beautiful, fun and educational.

Young readers are introduced to the biology and geography of the actual places and animals mentioned in the books, including some of the environmental challenges they face. The material is presented in such a way that children are educated by the stories, but not frightened. There are examples of some success as well, most notably how the protection of the Gray Whales saved them from the brink of extinction.

David Hoobler is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and presently resides in Hayward, California. He holds a B.A. in Art Studio from Sonoma State College, and did graduate work in the Theatre Direction Program at SF State. This is his third book.