Weglot Switcher Here
Eight unlikely heroes, one big mission: to help kids fall in love with the seven continents — and everything living on them.
ROO, our endlessly happy, dependable, spirited Australian joey, is PEN’s trusted confidant and steadfast sidekick. It leaps to provide whatever the Madykazoo & me misfits need, pulling objects from its magic pouch. In its quiet way, ROO proves itself is a hero, turning PEN’s ideas into triumphs.
ROO is a bundle of awkward charm—its oversized feet and stout tail make every hop a comic spectacle. Two buck teeth peek out mischievously, impossible to ignore… until the enchanted pouch steals the spotlight.
ROO’s magical pouch provides the gaggle with whatever is needed—food, accessories, tools, bridges, shelter, etc.
ROO hops around with endless joy, smiling no matter what’s happening. It joyfully leaps with unshaken spirit, listening closely to PEN’s whispers, ready to produce whatever destiny, and PEN, require.
The female kangaroo had a very difficult time delivering her first joey. Its feet were so very large and the tail quite unusual too. And, what about those teeth? The herd one by one sniffed at the new joey laying in the sand, inspecting every inch. They huddled together with the new mother, and then together, hopped off leaving the joey all alone. A ranger who had been keeping an eye on the new mother’s pregnancy, watched in disappointment. Carefully picking up the fragile newborn, the ranger placed it in the green jeep, and drove back to the animal hospital. As the joey got healthier, its feet and tail grew larger, its long buck teeth certainly didn’t interfere with its appetite. ROO would entertain to the delight of the rest of the patients by jumping very high in the yard, or thumping the ground with its tail so hard it shook the leaves on the trees! One day not paying too much attention, the joey showed off jumping, jumping, jumping—finding itself in a forest far, far away from the hospital it had called home. Exhausted, the joey stopped by a pond in the forest to rest. At the same moment, the joey noticed a strange parade of characters marching away from the pond. ROO’s tail nervously thumping the ground so hard, a nearby turtle bounced into the air landing in its pouch! And so began their extraordinary journey with new friends to magical places in Madykazoo.
PEN, our Antarctica Emperor penguin chick is the main hero of the Madykazoo & Me adventure stories. The misfits rely on PEN to find solutions to their dilemmas.
PEN has soft black down feathers, and strange orange markings around its cheeks and chest. To add to the delight, PEN is spotted with freckles!
PEN’s power is not spell or charm, but the rarest magic of all: the trust of its companions. Through that bond, PEN becomes the hero who shapes the outcome of the journeys in Madykazoo.
When faced with a challenge, PEN paces thoughtfully, its mind whirring with ideas. The moment inspiration strikes—ROO the kangaroo sidekick— leaps into action, producing from its magic pouch exactly what the Madykazoo misfits need to succeed.
The new, funny-looking freckled penguin stood shyly looking down at the crowded water of the zoo’s Antarctica tank exhibit. The other penguins were swimming, jumping, playing—keeping their distance from the new penguin. Zookeepers worried the newcomer was not adjusting and decided to move it to a new zoo. On the way, the transport vehicle hit a big pothole in the road and the icy cage carrying the penguin fell off, bouncing toward the forest trees. Startled, the penguin watched as the vehicle drove off unaware it lost its precious cargo. Then, the penguin noticed something through the trees of the forest. “Hmmm,” it thought.” What is this?” PEN arrived at a pond. It put one toe in the icy cold water and immediately jumped up on a nearby boulder, dove in head-first, breaking the smooth surface of the water. It was so refreshing, the penguin swam, jumped and twisted in glee. The last go-round, it dove deeper than ever, and jumped higher than ever, gleefully twirling in the air, when suddenly it found itself grasping the very long neck of ... an ostrich. The penguin slid down its neck and found itself riding the ostrich, clinging tightly. And so began PEN’s journey into the extraordinary.
BEAR is the gentle giant of the Madykazoo & Me gaggle, introducing readers to the continent’s wondrous food sources. Loyal sidekick to OS, it is often coaxed into mischief, yet in moments of peril its great size and strength transform it into an unlikely hero.
This abandoned Asian panda bear cub has typical black and white markings. It was born with SIX nails on each paw (later painted bright neon colors). BEAR is nose-holding stinky—and, three pesty bees are its constant companion.
BEAR’s hunger alone can summon a picnic table quickly, and magically, stacked with morsels of yummy food. BEAR’s great size brings strength in times of need, yet its comic clumsiness often finds the Madykazoo gaggle in unexpected misadventures.”
BEAR usually ambles arm‑in‑wing with OS at the front of the gaggle, “me‑first” attitude shining in their playful rivalry. Responding to OS’s “Valla!” (Let’s GO) BEAR rolls with surprising speed to win OS’s race challenges--well, sometimes. And when hunger strikes, a tummy rub and deep growl—‘feed me’ means food is about to arrive.
No one thought the new cub would survive its first night. It arrived battered and bruised, its fur matted with sorrow, and a curious stink that lingered even after a bath and a vigorous tooth-brushing. Other bears rejected and abandoned it in the bamboo forest.
With its companion bees buzzing, BEAR curled into the corner of its pen, not eating, unmoving, hiding its paws—until one day, a ranger sat nearby painting her nails in bright, enchanted neon colors. The scent wafted through the air like a spell. BEAR stirred. The ranger, sensing BEAR’s interest, noticed the unusual six claws on each paw, and painted all six claws bright neon colors.
BEAR squealed with delight, grew round with joy, and rolled its hulky body straight through its cage and outer fence--in to a forest where BEAR noticed a shimmering pond in the distance.
Always hungry, and now curious, off BEAR went in search of food. After a swim (bath!) and finding plenty of yummy food, BEAR heard rustling from across the pond.
It stood up and blinked twice, puzzled by the site of a peculiar parade. There, gliding away from the pond down a mossy path like a vision on stilts, was an ostrich — and perched atop its feathery back, a freckled penguin!
Following further behind the ostrich was a big-footed kangaroo, with a glowing pouch, that had a little face peeping out. Could that be a ... turtle?
Without a single growl or hesitation, BEAR slowly made its way around the pond and followed this misfit group, drawn by something deeper than curiosity.
And so began its journey into the extraordinary.
OS is Madylazoo’s silly sidekick, always blundering into mischief. Its comedic antics set the stage for the misfortunes that arise in each new adventure in mysterious Madykazoo.
OS is young African ostrich who runs extremely fast. Light pink baby feathers are still present on its neck, head and legs, while its tail, wings and body are varied shades of brown. OS has big expressive light blue eyes and long eyelashes. It proudly sports a mohawk haircut down the center of its head supported by an extremely long neck. OS has very skinny legs.
OS’s long neck can extend for miles, especially when one of the Madykazoo misfit explorers wander off and can’t be found. Its shimmering purple anklets glow and shift in color to warn of approaching danger.
OS sticks close to its best friend BEAR, even with the buzzing bees and the stinky, earthy smell. Every chance it gets, OS shouts ‘VALLA!’ which challenges BEAR to a race—usually sparking chaos when the misfits are supposed to stay together in strange new lands.
Unlike the rest of its flock, this young ostrich, OS, was born with unusually long legs and neck, with an irrepressible love of running, knocking over everyone’s food buckets! Chained to the farmyard fence for its mischief, OS got a makeover from the farmer’s daughter with a streak of bright purple hair and matching purple anklets to cover its restraints. The flock would saunter slowly by, laugh and move food just out of reach of the silly-looking captive. The young, depressed ostrich couldn't eat, so its legs got skinnier and skinnier, its neck longer and longer as it stretched to reach for food. One day, its legs got so skinny they slipped from the restraining cuffs, and OS quickly ran away, reaching the quiet solitude of a forest. There, beside a quiet pond tucked deep in the woods, the young ostrich built a secret hideout — part refuge, part playground, and entirely its own. But the winds of whimsical wonder were already stirring. Soon, OS would share that hideout with a curious gaggle of misfits, each drawn by destiny. Just beyond the hidden refuge, adventure awaits, and the name Madykazoo hummed with promises of friendships—and food!
IZ is a South American Liolaemus tenuis lizard. Lazy IZ is Madykazoo & Me’s trickster and shapeshifter, whose inquisitive nature causes trouble with the continent locals, endangering the rest of the Madykazoo misfits on their adventures and explorations.
IZ has blue/green scales with geometric patters in yellow and red. IZ has a long red, forked tongue, and a long swishing tail.
IZ, our languid lizard, can drift into the colors of its surroundings, shimmering like a living mirage. When danger or mischief calls, it can fade almost entirely from sight—yet its birthmarks, faint and stubborn glow, always seems to peek through.
Signature behavior: IZ drapes itself lazily upon TUT the turtle, content with its free ride. Self‑absorbed and ever hungry, it quietly slips away in search of crickets every chance it gets, returning only when its Madykazoo friends panic searching for it. If forced to speak, a whimsical lisp colors its words, adding mischief to the Madykazoo & Me adventures.
The lazy lizard was basking in the warm sun on a large elephant leaf in the rainforest. An observant owl had waited for hours in the tree above watching in amusement at the young lizard attempt to change colors from blue to green to yellow to transparent. But the lizard was never able to make the colorful birthmarks on its body disappear completely. So, it gave up and fell asleep.The owl, thinking this lizard would make a perfect breakfast for its ready-to-hatch chicks, took flight and snatched the lazy lizard in its powerful talons. The owl soared through the rainforest trees with precision and the expertise of a very skilled navigator. As it neared its nest high up in an oak tree forest far far away from IZ’s homeland, the owl franically flapped its wings and began shrieking.The owl squawked in panic (and guilt for leaving its eggs for so long), dropping our lazy lizard. IZ, with unique, colorful birthmarks, softly landed on very, very stinky matted fur. Grateful not be anyone’s breakfast, the IZ clung tightly to the fur—marking the beginning of IZ’s extraordinary adventures in Madykazoo.
TUT, our very observant European golden pond turtle, is the first to spot a clue, alerting the Madykazoo & Me misfits to potential danger.
TUT has traditional gold, brown colors of a pond turtle, however, it has a distinctive map of Europe on its shell. TUT has big beady yellow eyes, and two antennas.
With a puff of air, TUT grows big as a house or shrinks small enough to hide in a teacup. Whenever the Madykazoo misfits lose their way, TUT’s ancient shell shimmers with light, unfolding into a glowing map that gently points the path forward.
Though TUT sometimes lags behind—especially with IZ fast asleep on its shell—it shows readers with a stutter that courage means joining the journey, no matter the pace.
From a long‑hidden clutch by an ancient waterfall, a European golden pond turtle hatched and slowly made its way to the ancestral pond waters of its family. Gifted with the ability to linger beneath the surface, the hatchling explored mossy rocks and juicy grasses until it was startled by a black creature with orange webbed feet breaking thru the surface, swimming and diving, over and over. The frightened hatchling hid behind a log in the submerged swaying water-star grass, until, as suddenly as it appeared, the black figure disappeared. Quickly, the young turtle emerged from the pond and headed to a nearby boulder to dry off. Suddenly, the rock beneath its feet began to quiver and shake. The thumping got stronger and stronger eventually launching the hatchling in the air, landing it in a soft, unexpected refuge—marking the beginning of its extraordinary journey to adventures in Madykazoo.
This North American horned owl serves as the wise yet delightfully eccentric teacher, guide, and narrator of the adventures in Madykazoo, as well as protector when the need arises.
OWL is a speckled horned owl with a plumage blend of gray, brown, and black, arranged in a mottled pattern that evokes ancient scrolls and forest shadows. Its piercing yellow eyes are framed by gold-rimmed spectacles balanced atop its beak. Teacher’s talons are yellow-orange with retractable black claws. Around its neck hangs the enchanted Madykazoo Compass.
As keeper of the Madykazoo COMPASS, OWL commands its hidden forces, guiding and igniting the start of every magical journey to different continents in Madykazoo.
Composed and unflappable, OWL remains calm and steady, rarely ruffled by chaos. As narrator, OWL sometimes clutches a timeworn scroll — ready to speak the first words of the tale, but from time-to-time soars above the gaggle, watching over its playful pupils.
A clutch of ready-to-hatch eggs, safely nestled high in the huge oak tree, was gobbled up by a slithering snake seconds before the owls return. The owl’s heart ached with heavy silence. In a fury, it had dropped the blue-green lizard, trading a meal for justice. With talons outstretched and eyes burning, the owl seized the full-bellied serpent and hurled it against a big boulder down by the pond.Not wanting to return to its empty nest, OWL soared above the forest canopy, aimlessly circling around and around. As twilight spilled across the treetops, something sparkling caught its attention. Suspended in the branches of an oak tree, a glowing object swung to and fro — not aimlessly, but as if pointing toward something “out there,” somewhere. With a silent dive and talons outspread, OWL claimed the shimmering object. From that moment onward, OWL became the guardian of the mysterious COMPASS — and a guide to an unlikely ensemble of Madykazoo & Me misfits on enchanted continental expeditions to Madykazoo.
Provider of natural wonder destinations, the enchanted COMPASS serves as both catalyst and central figure, awakening inspirations that launch every journey to Madykazoo.
Measuring three inches across, the rosegold COMPASS gleams within its pocketwatch case judiciously etched with swirling sacred symbols of enchantment. When opened, one face guides with true north, while the other displays a living vision of earth’s natural wonder beginning each journey to Madykazoo. Its delicate chain allows it to swing with quiet grace, as though alive and calling.
COMPASS summons a mystical vortex that pierces the veil of time and distance, delivering our Madykazoo misfits to realms that transcend all boundaries.
At the start of each journey, COMPASS breathes out a dark rainbow mist with sounds of melodic tunes, conjuring a sparkling pile of accessories for the adventure ahead.
Long before OWL’s talons claimed it from the treetops, the compass had passed through hands inked in legend. It first appeared etched into the margins of an ancient chart — a forgotten fragment of Peri Reis, an Ottoman admiral’s, centuries-old map, its needle pointing not north, but toward untold places. Scholars argued it was crafted from star-metal, its rose gold casing engraved with sacred symbols that shimmered only under moonlight. It had no maker’s mark, only a swirling hologram of dark rainbow colors appearing and disappearing, inside the lid.Over centuries, it passed from desert caravans to shipwrecked dreamers, from forest-dwelling whisperers to world-traveling tourists. Each keeper swore the compass didn’t guide them to where they wanted to go, but where IT wanted them to go. Now, in OWL’s firm grip, the compass pulsed faintly, as if remembering. Its needle spun once, then settled — not toward a direction, but toward a gathering. The mossy field below would soon carry more than footsteps; it would carry a story stitched from misfits and magic. The Madykazoo COMPASS had waited long enough. Its next chapter was ready to be written — not in ink, but in trust, laughter, and the kind of wonder only found when a map runs out and the heart takes over.
