The Adventures of Zweebo and LaWanda
WrittenandIllustratedbyBrittanyDuncan
© 2023 Brittany Duncan
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Library of Congress Control Number: insert here
ISBN: 978-1-947506-33-6 (Hardcover)
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition
My darling Sa’eu. Thank you for showing me what bravery is. I love you always.
Once upon a time, there was a magical valley tucked behind the rainbow in the clouds. That’s where Zweebo and LaWanda live - and where their adventures begin.
To know the heroes of our story we must first meet Darla.
This is Darla, an elegant and loving purple dinosaur.
For quite some time Darla had hoped for something.
Something to look forward to.
Something to protect.
Something to love.
Unsure of what that something should be, she decided to plant seeds.
She waited. She watched. She watered. And watered. And watched. And waited.
One day her garden began to sprout!
In awe, she decided to spend as much time as dinosaurly possible watching it grow.
On Friday there was a basket of blueberries waiting for her in the garden. A gift from one of the neighbors, she assumed.
“I’ll make some blueberry muffins,” she thought to herself.
There was a note attached that said, “Call her LaWanda.”
“Call who LaWanda?” she wondered as she took the basket to her kitchen.
That afternoon she took a freshly baked muffin to her neighbors.
“Good morning, Zweebo. I’ve brought a treat for you and your grandmother.”
Thrilled with excitement he exclaimed, “Yippee yippee yeah!
Thank you, Ms. Darla.”
“You’re welcome, my darling. Come by and visit me if you’d like more. I had more blueberries than I knew
darling.
Little Zweebo from next door came by the very next day.
“Good morning, Ms. Darla! I sorta ate the whole muffin. It was so delicious, so scrumptious. My grandmother will be home from work soon. May I have another muffin for her?”
the scrumptious.
“Oh, darling, I’ve given them all away already. Everyone in the valley seemed so delighted to try them. I have a pie in the oven. Why don’t you help water the garden while I check on it?”
They turned towards Darla’s house; neither taking notice of the web that had appeared.
Zweebo watered the garden, anticipating the delight of more homemade desserts.
Meanwhile, someone else was about to make their debut in our story. The next day they returned to the garden where the most incredible thing happened.
A large, perfectly ripe tomato had appeared.
“Whoa! I must be the valley’s best garden water-er,” said Zweebo.
“Darling, you are indeed. But plants don’t grow that fast.”
It grew because I asked it to,” said the teeny tiny spider.
But teeny
“Oh, hello. Where’d you come from?
I’m Zweebo. What’s your name? By the way you’re not going to eat me are you?”
“What’s a name? And what’s a... Zweebo? I don’t think I’m going to eat you. You don’t look tasty.”
“Well, a name is a special word creatures use to call you, to greet you, to honor you,” explained Darla.
For quite some time Darla had hoped for something.
Something to look forward to. Something to protect.
Something to love. Certain that that something is a someone...she decided to harvest. And to plant more seeds.
“Your name is LaWanda, my darling,” said Darla tenderly.
“That’s it! I remember! How did you know it?”
“Those who loved you before we met made sure I knew it. I believe they brought you to my garden out of pure love for you. To keep you safe. And if you’d like to stay, I promise to do just that.”
“Yeah and I’ll even share my slice of pie with you. We can meet up in the garden and help grow more plants. I do believe my watering skills may come in handy,” said Zweebo. Without hesitation or a word, LaWanda joined her new family.
Sometime later, Zweebo flew from his mushroom house to visit his best friend.
“Happy birthday, LaWanda! I made your favorite. Blueberry pie!”
“Thank you, Z! Let’s share a slice and go meet my Mom in the garden before we journey to our next adventure.”
Whenever you’re ready for the next adventure just meet Zweebo and LaWanda back in Darla’s garden, my darling.
She will always look forward to seeing you. You will always be protected. You will always be loved.
LaWanda won’t eat you, and Zweebo will try his best to share desserts.
