My Heart Grew When I Met Zazu

About the Book

I met Zazu a few years ago at a local pet store. Instantly I felt a bond with him. I had always wanted a pet cockatoo, and Zazu seemed to really like me. I knew that there was something very special about our instant connection. Zazu needed a new home after being left at the store by his previous owner. No one knew much about him, not even his age. He was shaking and fidgety but would say “Hello, Bird” to me and would hold out his foot for me to pick him up and pat him. He came over to me immediately and looked up at me as if to say, “I really need someone to take care of me. I’m all alone and scared, and I don’t know where my human is or why I’m here.” The store owner was eager for me to take him home, and I was happy to do so. I took Zazu home with me that day. But there was a lot more that I needed to learn. I was told that Zazu is a greater sulphur-crested cockatoo—a triton to be exact. These birds are large and loud and very, very needy. They are also extremely complex to take care of. It became clear within a few days that Zazu had a troubling past. He was an older bird, and he came with his own personal baggage. It was difficult to get him to eat his seeds, and he yelled every time I left the room. He always seemed to be trying to tell us something

About the Author

April Frye was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, a small city in New England. Aside from writing, she also owns and operates a small pet and family photography studio called Punkaroosky Photography. Many of the photographs contained in My Heart Grew When I Met Zazu were taken either in the studio or in the midst of the Fryes’ day-to-day lives. This book, My Heart Grew When I Met Zazu, is meant to show children that the animals that live among us deserve a life with educated and caring owners. It also shows the benefits of hard work and persistence. To view more photos of Zazu and his friends, please visit: Punkarooskyphotography.com