In Print online, Steven Heller reviews Zippy Goes to School:
Born in Africa, the real Zippy lived the better part of his life with Bonnie and Lee Ecuyer. Adopted when he was just three months old, he was trained to eat at the dining room table with a spoon and fork (no knives, thank you). He drank from a glass, brushed his teeth and dressed himself. He became famous in the 50s as performer on The Ed Sullivan Show, Gary Moore Show and Howdy Doody (a fitting show for an ape). In 1954 Rand McNally's Book-Elf Books division published Zippy Goes to School by Lee Ecuyer with photos by Albert G. Westelin and Ecuyer.
The heartwarming tale is about Zippy trying to make his way in primary school, navigating the cliques and clacks, trends and fashions, loves and hates that plague many students today. And he had his difficulties; the kind that would trigger medication for children in our overly medicated society. But Zippy had a dream – and atavistic ambition.
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