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by Libby Hikind (Author)
Ziva the Zebra grows up on a quiet Tennessee farm after being rescued as a tiny, mud-covered foal. Jacob, the gentle farmer who finds her, raises her among his horses. They become her whole world: warm, safe, and full of love. Even with all that comfort, Ziva cannot ignore the bold black-and-white stripes staring back at her.
Every day she tries to scrub them off, roll them away, or cover them with mud. But her stripes never disappear, and the ache she feels from standing out never fades when she overhears visitors talking about a nearby zebra farm with thirty zebras: something inside her lights up. A whole herd that looks like her? A place where she would not be different? She tucks the forgotten map into her stall and begins to dream.
One morning, driven by curiosity and longing, Ziva slips away down the Tennessee trail. Jacob soon realizes she is missing. His voice shakes as he calls for her, and when he cannot find her, he dials 911 so the authorities will know how to search for her.
Ziva eventually reaches the dazzling herd she imagined. The stripes around her are beautiful, and the guides even call the group a dazzle. Still, she discovers a hard truth: in a herd where everyone looks the same, no one really sees her.
Then she meets Manny, a friendly mustang who is proud to be different. Talking with him helps Ziva understand what she has been missing. The place where she was truly seen was back home, with Jacob, his son, and the horses who loved her exactly as she was.
Lost without her map but determined to return, Ziva and Manny work together to send a loud call for help. A helicopter hears the strange sound, swoops in, and lifts Ziva to safety. When she lands, she is surrounded by relief, joy, and the familiar love she longed for.
Jacob holds her close and reminds her of what she needed to hear all along: your differences are not flaws. They are something worth celebrating.
And this time, Ziva finally believes him.
