Teaching animal names through playful design
Zoosi helps little ones discover animal names through playful, geometric artwork and hands-on games. What began as a single set of flashcards has grown into a whole menagerie of ways to play in more than one language.
Zoosi started as a gift. Designer and illustrator Tou Yia Xiong went looking for something educational and Hmong-inspired for his nieces and nephews. He couldn’t find anything that was both culturally meaningful and beautifully made. So he made it himself: a set of flashcards teaching animal names in Hmong, his first language. Those cards became the heart of Zoosi.
Zoosi, pronounced Zoo-See, got its name from a combination of two Hmong words: good, which is zoo, and play, which is ua si. In direct translation, Zoosi means good play — which is at the core of what Zoosi is.
For questions, inquiries, or if you have any ways to improve the experience, please reach out. We would love to hear from you — and we’d love to see any photos or stories of how Zoosi has helped you, too.
Your donation helps Tou Yia keep the games free for everyone. It supports making new content, website and software costs, and product upkeep.
Designed & illustrated by Tou Yia Xiong
Brooklyn, NYC