Book Review of Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub (Felix & Ninja, Book 1)
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The Children’s Book Review
Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub (Felix & Ninja, Book 1)
Written by Melanie Abed
Illustrated by Hisham Abed
Ages: 9-13 | 244 Pages
Publisher: Oculus Print (2026) | ISBN: 979-8-9952813-0-6
What to Expect: Zombies, creative problem-solving, courage, science, STEAM learning.
Fast-paced, packed with tantalizing clues, and deliciously suspenseful, Zombie Zoo kicks off the Adventures in Tub series with a debut story guaranteed to keep readers turning the pages.
In the town of Spinachi, two orphans are doing their best not to work with one another. Felix is a scientist, a naturalist with a rare talent for spotting patterns. He wants nothing more than to be left in peace to observe—but never interact with—the world. Ninja is more of an activist who trusts her instincts. She wants answers about her past, among other things—and she always works alone.
However, each of them has seen a part of the same mystery—a mystery that involves disappearing green goo, strange green mists, and shambling, shuffling monsters roaming the halls of the orphanage. Something has been turning the town’s inhabitants into zombies—and both are sure that an investigation can help them figure it out. Even with the scientific method in their toolboxes, however, this is not a problem either of them can solve alone…
Felix and Ninja are perfect foils for one another, and their unlikely and reluctant partnership provides plenty of humor as well as tender moments as they learn to see past their disagreements. Against the backdrop of a non-human (but surprisingly human) world, an atmosphere thick with creepiness, and a LOT of spinach-based unpleasantness, the close observations, logical reasoning, and methodical investigative field work of Felix and Ninja help the puzzle unravel, clue by tantalizing clue. Just the right balance of suspense and silliness keeps the story enjoyable for its middle-grade audience, while the framing through multiple storytellers and perspectives helps the narration crackle with personality.
Ideal for cross-curricular lessons bridging ELA and STEAM, Zombie Zoo will have readers both in the classroom and outside it, recognizing scientific investigation as a genuine adventure and the lab notebook as the ultimate book of magic.
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About the Author
Melanie Abed is a behavioral expert turned story weaver who believes dragons are real but hiding. A tea-loving bookworm with an MA in Psychology, she champions young minds and writes to help kids discover their superpowers are real. Melanie consults across multiple industries and co-runs a production company with her husband, with credits in commercials, television, and film. Zombie Zoo is the first book in her Adventures in Tub series.
For more information, visit https://www.melanieabed.com.
About the Illustrator
Inspired by a steady diet of comic books, Hisham Abed began teaching himself to draw at an early age. A love of animation guided him into the world of filmmaking, where he first worked as a storyboard artist for films and commercials. A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Hisham has since become an Emmy Award–winning director and a three-time DGA Award nominee, working across both scripted and unscripted television. He now brings that same visual storytelling expertise to illustration, collaborating with his wife to bring her imaginative and fantastical writing to life.
For more information, visit www.hishamabed.com.
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