Zagaboo Reviews

  • “As you will discover, Zagaboo is an amazing adventure! Thrilled with the first book, had the chance to experience the fun first hand at a presentation/show. You will love it. Kids instantly get it! There's exploration, meeting new friends, and lots of fun. I enjoyed Zagaboo so much that I placed many books (a long time a go) in Little Free Libraries for kids to discover in Northern VA and as far away as Chicago. I encourage you to get your copy and share a few too. Every library should have Zagaboo!”

    Ernie

  • “James visited our school last week and was wonderful. Even with a few technical difficulties my students were absolutely enchanted by the Legend of Zagaboo. With the fun songs and wonderful pictures my students were captivated by his every word. James was able to hold the attention of 50+ children and still managed to get every child and adult to laugh and enjoy the story. We definitely hope he can come back soon with more of his wonderful stories of Zagaboo.”

    Jennie Senseney

  • “My son Julian absolutely loves Zagaboo and he listens to the Zagaboo song nearly everyday on the way home from school. :) Zagaboo strikes again! My son Julian really enjoyed the Maddie Swims Troll-Style story told by James Pettinelli - Author of the Zagaboo Stories. He really brings his characters to life with his enthusiasm and music.”

    Christina Contaldi

  • “The Zagaboo Stories are so fun and send a great message. The author, James Pettinelli, puts on such a wonderful presentation of his stories to students. We have had him visit once so far and cannot wait to have him visit our school again this Summer and Fall!”

    Kirsten Baker

  • “James Pettinelli was AMAZING! he came to our school (Chesterbrook Academy-Germantown) for our first literacy night, he read The Legend of Zagaboo. The students loved the story as well as the parents, also one of our students had a birthday and James sang a special song for her it was so sweet! I would highly recommend him!”

    Ashley Williams

  • "Winwood, Lansdowne, love the Zagaboo Stories! They are an amazing collection stoies, that our children absolutely love listening too! James Pettinelli does a great job bringing his characters to live as he reads to the children! He puts on a fabulous show!"

    Alison Mazeika

  • "WOW What an amazing show!!!!! I am an assistant principal at a Chesterbrook Academy Clifton and this was my first time experiencing his show! This was such a wonderful show for our Spring Break camp and we cant wait to bring him back for our Summer Camp!! The children ages 2-12 LOVED the music and dancing!! and Mr. Zagaboo!! it has been a week and the kids are STILL raving about Zagaboo!!! Thank you so much for a wonderful show!! we cant wait to see you in the summer!!! update: We had him back for his 2nd book reading the other day and the children were SOOOOO excited "Mr Zagaboo" came back and had another story to share with them!! They cant wait to hear the last book!! James is such a wonderful guy to work with!! HIGHLY recommended for any camps! thank you again sooooo much!!!!!"

    Shellz111110

  • "Today, we welcomed Zagaboo to our preschool. The students had a blast diving into this magical place. James makes the story come alive with his fun, interactive show. We cannot wait to have him back again for books 2 & 3! Yay Zagaboo!"

    Jessica Best

  • "Zagaboo came to my school, Chesterbrook Academy, to read his to our school. Each student LOVED his story. He told an adventurous tale and had the attention of each child! The author is very nice, and we are having him back again this summer to read his other two books. This is definitely not your average story telling experience. This is a great adventure through the story with sound affects, and more!"

    Jess Smith

  • "James Pettinelli the author of The Zagaboo Stories did a wonderful interactive reading with our children at Winwood Children's Center in Ashburn. The children LOVED the story and has so much fun! We would definitely invite James back. Thank you!"

    Lauren Hachwi

  • "We were lucky to have James present his book "The Legend of Zagaboo" to the students at Winwood-Fairfax! He was energetic, interactive, and had the kids up and dancing! He even took the time to send a birthday message to my little girl who was not able to attend. We will be booking him again!"

    Katy Thiltgen

  • "I bought the first book for my girls and they loved it. They begged for the next two books to find out what happens to Zagaboo next!! Fantastic stories! My daughters age 3-7 love them and ask about Zagaboo’s adventures all the time."

    Joe Sena

  • "I'm a teacher at Nottingham Elementary in Arlington, Virginia. Mr. Pettinelli visited our school and did an amazing job. It was our first assembly in two years due to Covid and the kids were so excited to be there. James kept them entertained, engaged, and involved in the process of what an author goes through in writing a book. Thanks for introducing us to Zagaboo Stories Mr. Pettinelli!"

    Maurice Katoen

  • "Zagaboo is a wonderfully written story about a magical troll king, carved from wood by a little boy and brought to life by fairy dust, and his friends who help children conquer their fears. Zagaboo has quickly become a beloved book and character in our home. My young daughter often falls asleep snuggled up to Zagaboo in her swimsuit just wishing that tonight will be the night Zagaboo comes to take her to his magic kingdom to learn how to swim. Maddie Swims Troll-Style is her favorite book so far! The illustrations are vibrant and detailed and these books are beautiful from cover to cover. Pettinelli does an amazing job at awakening the imagination of children who read his books. These are sure to become bookshelf staples in any home. As for my family….we just can’t wait to get our hands on the next Zagaboo book!"

    Chrystal Young

  • "James Pettinelli came to my school for an author visit with our second graders. He was so much fun... an interactive read aloud and live music! I recommend the Zagaboo books for all kids and author visit for schools!"

    Eric Sokolove

  • "Jim does a wonderful job with his shows for the KinderCare where I work. As a fellow performer and educator, I really appreciate the time and effort he puts into his writing, illustrations, and performance. My twins love the stories and sing the songs all the time. Our little Zagaboo doll is a constant bed companion for my twins as they take turns loving him and putting him in their own different adventures. These show are well worth the time and the stories provide endless entertainment for little ones!"

    Natasha Smith

  • "We recently had Zagaboo read the first story to our campers and they loved it! They were excited and engaged and Zagaboo really came to life! Keep encouraging children to love reading!"

    Amanda Csazko

  • "We have had Mr. Pettinelli come to our school, Chesterbrook Academy #801 Fairfax, a couple of times throughout the Summer. The classes really enjoy listening to him read his books. He is so animated, engaged and fun for all ages! The children enjoy yelling out, "Zagaboo, Zagaboo, where are you?""

    Sherry Alphin

  • "My daughter was introduced to Zagaboo at daycare. She has spent the last 24 hours saying, "Zagaboo, Zagaboo, where are you?" We listened to the song on repeat this morning. This is a wonderful new character and we're looking forward to seeing and hearing more from Mr. Pettinelli."

    Sandhya Sundaram

  • "Zagaboo came to our school and I will say it was an awesome show he had all the children engaged during the whole show. The meet and greet after the show nice as well our parents loved the free music as well."

    Ash Briar

  • "My son had a wonderful experience at his school during the Zagaboo show. He was singing and dancing along to the music and bonding with his classmates. He is excited to get the music to listen to in the car."

    Kelly Ellis

  • "We had James multiple times to read for the kids at my center, his presentations were amazing and the kids had a wonderful time. His stories are very interesting and bring joy to children. I would highly recommend him for summer camps."

    Zina Belharet

  • "Mr James came to Winwood children's Center in Reston to do the Zagaboo presentation and he was amazing! We can not wait for him to come back! We highly recommend anyone booking him for your next event!"

    Kesha Menefee Adams

  • "Zagaboo did a story reading at our school. It was a huge hit with the kids, teachers and parents. Highly recommended!!!"

    Rahul J

  • "James did an amazing job with my students and parents. His story was interactive and fun for all ages. Highly recommend this author and story teller. Thank you!!"

    Rockin80girl

  • "Fantastic storyteller! James Pettinelli delivered an engaging presentation complete with songs, dancing, and sound effects for my young library patrons. Highly recommend!"

    Cristina Olson

  • "Amazing our whole school from teachers to all the children loved the Zagaboo presentation !!! This was my second time booking and will be booking again for the school year."

    Sabrina Turner

  • "The KinderCare in Lorton VA LOVES Zagaboo!!!! We have had only wonderful experiences with the Author and would recommend this show to everyone!!!!!"

    Paoula Murillo

  • "Children love the stories and song. The author does a great job with the readings grabbing the attention of even the youngest children and creating a love for the stories."

    Tiffany Stillwell

  • "Grandchildren love the stories and the illustrations and can't wait for a new adventure. Keep up the great work. Thanks for signing their books"

    Melissa Robinson

  • "Absolutely fantastic and so much fun for kids. Very interactive and educational. Definitely recommend!!"

    Sonia Bhandari

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