Book Description
`Before the zoo opens each day a small army of keepers, vendors, and maintenance workers perform the daily tasks of cleaning and setting up. Then the crowds flock in. . . . The busy pictures are filled with details and action. The writing is crisp, clear, and informative.' —SLJ.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1987 (NSTA/CBC) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

My 2 year old loves this book
My 2 year old loves this book.It is one of her favorites (The Zoo is her favorite place to visit).

Review of Zoo by Gail Gibbons
In this book, Gibbons includes all important facts about the zoo presenting the information clearly and directly.The organization of the text is sequential from early morning at the zoo until nightfall.The purpose of the book is portrayed through the text and illustrations.The bright, colorful illustrations compliment the text and are clearly labeled using appropriate vocabulary for the intended age level.The book is very appropriate for young readers and would be a valuable resource for learning about the zoo.

Great behind-the-scenes look at the zoo
For all the children who go to the zoo and enjoy looking at the animals, Gail Gibbons presents a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at all the work that makes it possible. From the zookeepers arriving in the early morning to feed the animals and clean their cages and the vendors preparing for the zoo's visitors, to the security guard locking the main gate and patroling the empty walkways, the book does a nice job of giving children a more in-depth view of the zoo. Veterinarians help sick animals and monitor the birth of baby animals. Construction workers build a new exhibit. Zoo keepers prepare the special foods that the animals eat.

Both my boys were able to easily relate things they'd seen at our zoo to the book. Their next visit, too, was filled with applying what they'd seen in the book to our zoo.

Gibbons' books are always excellent. Zoo brings alive a favorite place to visit in a very unique way. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Perfect for encouraging an early love of poetry
The poems in this beautifully illustrated book are perfect for children; short and silly yet well written.My 3-year old and I sit together and read the entire book, and we each have our favorite animal poem.A wonderful book- I will buy more of Florian's collections.

A review of a sort.
No one can accuse poet Douglas Florian of being uninterested in the public opinion of his work.Mr. Florian is one of the few relatively well-known children's writers out there who, by his own hand and without any interference on my part, was kind enough to ask me to review his book, "zoo's who" by e-mail.I, a lowly Amazon.com reviewer, was somewhat amazed to receive his request (all the more so when I noticed that it was written in brightly colored verse).I was reluctant initially, a reluctance that increased tenfold when I opened my most recent issue of School Library Journal and found that Mr. Florian had written a letter taking an SLJ reviewer to task for a) Incorrectly writing the title of his book with capital letters and b) not properly spacing the letters in his poem, "The Slugs", thereby nixing the point of the work.The fact that the review was a positive one did not stop Mr. Florian from his critique.Now I tend to write reviews of children's books with only the vaguest sense that the author may, at some time, care what I've written.I have never received an angry e-mail from someone like Carmen Agry Deedy for my review of her gawdawful, "The Yellow Star" or from Marcus Pfister for his lamentable, "Rainbow Fish".But then, I've never known for a fact that the author has or would, at some point, read what I've written.So do I shrink from my responsibilities and refuse to review this book simply because I can't write three words without wondering if they are "nice"?Do I shy away from this momentous occasion and leave the reviewing to somebody else?No sir!Onward I revieweth!

It helps that I liked the book too.Before you begin to sneer at me and say to yourself, "Well of COURSE she's not going to give the book a bad review (the coward)", I would like to note that Florian's books are of a very specific breed.They are not going to appeal to every child of every persuasion.The nine-year-old who fills their shelves with Shel Silverstein and (to a lesser extent) Jack Prelutsky is not going to immediately find a Florian unless directed to do so.Mr. Florian is, to his credit, not one of those numerous Silverstein knock-offs you stumble over in the poetry section of the library room.The man goes for grander visions.Big sweeping pictures that involve watercolor, gouache, colored pencils, inks, tin foil, candy wrappers (I'm not making this up, you know), shredded papers, stencils, rubber stamps, and (to quote the book's back page), "much collage on primed brown paper bags".The results are these ambitious animalian dreamscapes where the poems are merely half the final product.Quite frankly, I incline more towards poetry books like,"If Not For the Cat", but I can definitely see Florian's appeal.

If you've read a Florian before than you know what to expect.In this book we are treated to twenty-one poems of various wild creatures.Everything from lowly insects, to man-eating sharks, to sleepy creeping sloths have their moment in the sun here.It takes a while to get into the book, but once you do it's increasingly amusing.Not laugh-your-socks-off amusing.More mildly-chuckle-and-then-ponder-the-truth-in-the-writing amusing.Some poems are plays on words.The poem, "The Ant", consists of four panicked lines that read simply, "I wANTed to write / A poem on an ANT / I'm frANTic- / I cAN'T".I won't even repeat the lines in the poem "The Terns" except to say that it's a groaner of a pun.By the end, you find you've met a wide variety of critters in a surprising variety of ways.

To my mind, Mr. Florian is at his best when he goes for something with a little atmosphere to it.My favorite poem out of the bunch is, without question, "The Owl".On the left-hand page are sixteen yellow pairs of eyes huddled on the floor of a deep dark forest.Above them, glowing far larger are almost hypnotic peepers of a creature who proclaims, "I am the eyes / And ears of night / The say I'm wise - / I say they're right".You'll find yourself in shivers just staring at the inky blue/blackness of the picture for minutes on end.You'll also find yourself returning to it.

Will kids like this book?Doggone it if I know.I think that Mr. Florian's books work particularly well as writing exercises in schools and classrooms.The teacher reads a bunch of his poems aloud (turning and twisting the books as necessary) then encourages the kids to write their own wild kingdom prose and pictures in his style.Children do not, by and large, seek out poetry on their own unless they are looking for something silly.Nevertheless, I suspect that in many households this book will be much beloved (and certain poems favored over others) for years and years to come.A lovely offering and some unique takes.

.... and.... we're done.

A tempting menagerie
In one of his most artful surprises yet, Douglas Florian has created another delightful, spine-tingling gaggle of animals, the usual tongue-twisting, alliterative troupe: the manta ray, the penguin, the bush baby, the bats, the slugs, the terns, the wallaby and, my favorite, the sloth:

"Up a tree you slowly creep,
The twenty hours straight you sleep."

The artwork in this latest collection is superior, art-iculate and gaily colored, sure to inspire young minds with fanciful thoughts, even singing the praises of the slug:

"Slugs are ugly.
Slugs are lowly.
Slugs climb mountains
Very slowly."

These simple poems alongside such quirky critters that leap from Florian's mind offer a world of adventure, a humorous peak into the lives of creatures great and small. With consummate skill, Florian has combined whimsy with some remarkable artwork, a book sure to be beloved of children and adults alike. If you're like me, you know a few "grownups" who will appreciate the wonderful illustrations in zoo's who. Who says we have to grow up anyway?

"I wANTed to write
A poem on an ANT.
I'm frANTic-
I cANT."

Luan Gaines/2005.

Another fun read/look
Again, my son and I both got a kick out of the poems on a menagerie of beasts -- funny and clever wordplay and a cool assortment of animals, too. The poem The Ant was a big fave for us both, making my son start looking for the word "ant" in EVERYTHING. And,if the poems and pictures weren't enough, at the back of the book, there's a little paragraph about how the illustrations were made. We then had to go back through every picture to find various items that are part of the collages (and we still haven't found any candy wrappers). A lot of fun for us.... ... Read more

Book Description

TWIN POLAR BEAR CUBS

Kalluk and Tatqiq were only three months old when they were found orphaned in Alaska. Together they were brought to the World-Famous San Diego Zoo to be cared for.

From the cubs' first tentative months in the zoo's infirmary to their home in the Polar Bear Plunge, this book chronicles the twins' development with exclusive photographs from the zoo and Joanne Ryder's poetic, informative text. Playful and curious, Kalluk and Tatqiq have won the hearts of more than three million people who visit the zoo each year. Whether they're diving into the water, rolling in the dirt, or sliding down a snowdrift, these adorable bears will charm readers of all ages.

... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

If Anything Ever Goes Wrong at the Zoo
This is great book about zoo and i love it.
Mary Jean Hendrick is friend of mine.

Great imaginative children's book
My two andfour year old both love this book.One of my favorites.They can really relate to the story and imagine the animals we have seen at the zoo coming to OUR house.The pictures are beautiful.

Wonderful Beautiful Children's Story Book!!
I just loved this book and so did my children.The illustrations are beautiful and colorful, the story is imaginative and fanciful (which is lacking in so many other children's books these days).

This book is amust have for any young child!!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Mischievous monkeys, colorful parrots, a friendly elephant -- young children's favorite zoo animals are all here in superb close-up photos. Why does a camel have a hump? Where do penguins come from? Simple text and detailed illustrations will satisfy inquisitive preschoolers who are busy learning about the world around them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Zoo Book
Nice pictures, but the text is a little funky.Would also like to see more animals included.

Introducing Children to the World of Zoo Animals
DK Publishing has joined forces with Baby Genius to create entertaining books for babies. These books combine Baby Genius' philosophy with DK's amazing photographs and designs. Baby Genius is a leading producer/publisher of classical, instrumental and vocal CDs and videos for young children.

In this book, children are introduced to the world of wild and exotic animals. Fun words and full-color photographs will delight babies and hold their interest.

Zoo Animals is a sturdy 16-page book that can be enjoyed for years. The photography is so good you can almost imagine reaching out and touching the page and actually feeling the leopard's fur or the petting the tiny tiger cub's fur. The photography is simply stunning.

This book contains pictures of leopards catnapping, giraffes sticking their tongue out (really funny), baby elephants drinking at a water hole, Zebras smiling, turtles swimming under water, baby tigers hanging out together all in a row and a group of lemurs with stunning amber eyes.

On the left side you find one animal with the name in large print. Then, on the adjacent page, you see three photographs of the animals in their natural habitat.

Highly recommended for the amusement value alone. Some of my earliest childhood memories included seeing a giraffe and elephant at a zoo. This is a book babies and toddlers will enjoy and a trip to the zoo will enhance the reading experience.

Also look for:

Baby Animals: Colors, Numbers, Shapes

Four Seasons

~The Rebecca Review ... Read more

Book Description
Perfect for reading aloud, this collection of pun-filled poems is one zoo everyone will delight in visting again and again. These rollicking, rhyming poems feature a wild variety of different animals, each one undeniably unique. William Wise's playful poetry is perfectly matched by Lynn Munsinger's hilarious watercolour illustrations highlighting each creature's distinct personality, from Gertrude the good agouti to Sabrina the carefree snake. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Read it again and again
The librarian at school picked this for my son, he wasn't happy at all about it.Now I think we need to send her a thank you note.We've read it every night before bed for a whole week.That's a first.I love this book, my son loves this book.Read it, you will love it too. ... Read more

Book Description
From catching alligators in the reservoirs of New York and capturing giant crocodiles in Venezuela and giant frogs in West Africa to finding mummified human heads in a Bronx apartment, eels on a bus, cobras on the loose, and crocodiles that make change—a memoir of one man’s career working with exotic reptiles and other animals.

After the teenage Peter Brazaitis brought home one creepy crawly creature too many, his stepmother declared, “You are an animal, and you belong in a zoo!” He took her at her word. He went directly from high school in Brooklyn to a job at the Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo, where he stayed for more than thirty years, eventually becoming superintendent of reptiles. He later became curator of the Central Park Zoo, and continues to work with law enforcement as a forensic specialist in the fight to stop illegal importation and slaughter of reptiles for the luxury exotic-leather industry. (His effectiveness at this would earn him the moniker “The Bald-Headed Snake Keeper in the Bronx.”) You Belong in a Zoo! presents the amazing experiences Brazaitis has had in more than four decades of working with wild animals.

Enlightening, funny, and often outrageous, You Belong in a Zoo! is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at zoos, animal people, and some of nature’s most extraordinary creatures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Fangtastic
As a child, Peter Brazaitis' stepmom told him "You belong in a zoo!" He decided she had a point.

This book is part biography, part recollection of interesting episodes in his career. Brazaitis went on to work at the Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo in New York, and his specialty is reptiles.

Many people find scaly animals to be scary or repulsive, but Brazaitis helps to bring some uunderstanding and fondness for them to the reader. He has a talent for storytelling. He raises the tension in a scary story about an escaped cobra. He transports you to a very different kind of society as he describes a trip to capturte goliath frogs in Africa. He brings insight into how zoos are run and how they've evolved. And more than once he gets a lot of chuckles from landmark human stupidity. (Such as the lawyer with a unique idea about the digestive + reproductive systems, or the true pinheads who seem to think venomous snakes make for interesting pets.)

If you're interested in animals, you'll find "You Belong in a Zoo!"to be an excellent read.

Great "Behind the Scenes" Account of Zookeeping
"You Belong in a Zoo" is Peter Brazaitis' tale of his storied career caring for and studying reptiles.Brazaitis' served as Superintendant of reptiles at the Bronx Zoo and as Curator of the Central Park Zoo, and has also acted as an advocate for endangered reptiles through his work to prevent the illegal importation and killing of these animals.Brazaitis of course has a wealth of stories to tell - some humorous, some frightening, and some a combination of the two.After describing 15 foot long King Cobras capable of rising to look a full grown man in the eye, Brazaitis relates the story of his attempt to capture one of these fascinating but deadly creatures by precariously balancing above a pool of crocodiles to reach the ceiling panel where the snake is hiding.Brazaitis' take on reptiles, and animals in general, is interesting. He obviously has a deep respect and admiration for animals, especially the reptiles he has spent a lifetime studying, but his view of animals seems different from that of some of the more radical animal rights activists.One could also argue that Brazaitis' work - especially his work with customs officials to stop the smugggling of endangered reptiles - has done more good than some of the antics of the more extreme members of PETA, for example.Brazaitis writes in an earnest style with some dry wit thrown in, and this style is quite effective in relating the story of his career."You Belong In a Zoo" is an entertaining tale of reptiles and other animals, and an enjoyable autobiography of a man who has obviously "found his niche" in caring for these creatures.

Excellent Reading
This is a great book. I find myself laughing at times, grimacing at others.

The author has a great understanding of snakes and other reptiles. His respect for crocodiles comes across very clearly in this book. He also has a great understanding of human nature and some of the stories he tells are touching and sensitive. Others are hilarious and I laughed out loud while reading this book

The book is well written and enjoyable. It is easy to read and grabs you right from the opening pages. Even when he is lecturing to the reader or providing information, it is done in context and is very interesting.

Well worth every penny.
Enjoy.

Oh ,yea! I am not finished with the book yet!
I am loving this book. I decided to come online in the midst of it and urge others to read it...and this is not a paid urging!!!I hate to see what I look like reading this book..I go from grimaces to smiles to shock to belly laughs...I at times find myself leaning back in my chair as a particular tale is taking hold of me! The information is astounding and the authors sympathy with snakes is heartwarming...truly!!! More...more...more!!!

Humor flavors an inspired and informative discourse
You Belong In A Zoo!: Tales From A Lifetime Spent With Cobras, Crocs And Other Creatures is the one-of-a-kind memoir of Peter Brazaitis, a man who dedicated his life to working with exotic reptiles and other animals, ranging from alligators in the reservoirs of Florida, to cobras on the loose, to capturing giant frogs in West Africa. A wry dash of humor flavors an inspired and informative discourse. You Belong In A Zoo! is a life story highly recommended to the attention of anyone with an interested in reptilian wildlife as a hobby or as a potential career. ... Read more

Book Description
Ellen Streater received the perfect birthday present-an overnight camp-out at the zoo. Too bad she had to invite her little brother Corey along. But as night falls in the zoo, her brother becomes the least of her worries, as they discover they're locked in the zoo with an escaped convict who's stalking their every move. Unable to run, and with no help in sight, their last chance for survival is Ellen's crazy science project on animal communication. But can they get the animals to help them in time, or will it be too late?

"A compelling and fast-paced mystery with characters that are believable and well drawn." (The Horn Book)

"Plausible incidents and believable characters combine in a fast-moving and well-constucted tale."(Booklist) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Terror at the Zoo
This book is very amazing.It's a book that both children and adults can enjoy.I myself describe it as a mystery book but to most it's known as a scary book.At the begening.Ellen and Corey think it will be awsom to go on a campout to the zoo.But when they arrive their problems are maney. First nither their parents nore their grandparents arrive.Then they find a man named Toney Who rob's he zoo and is trying to hold them for a ransom of 20,000 dollers.Will they make it through night?Find out when you read "Terror at the Zoo".

Terror at the Zoo By Peg Kehret
The book is called Terror at the Zoo. The author is Peg Kehret. The main characters are Ellen and her brother Cory. Ellen thinks that her up coming birthday will make her more mature, but all Corey can think about is another fantasy story to make up.The plot of the story is that Ellen and Corey got a gift certificate to spend the night at the local zoo. Their grandparents will be taking them, because their parents will be out of town. Days before they go, their grandma breaks her foot. Their parents say that they will fly in early so that they can take them. When that day does come, their parents aren't there. Ellen thinks that they will be ther sonn, so she writes a note and she and her take a cab to the zoo. They wait outside the gates for hours, but their parents aren't there. So they go to the area where their campsite is.They wait some more then decide to go exploring. Afterall, this is their first time at the zoo at night. They come across an excaped prisoner and he spots them too. Now, thay are on the runs for their lives. All the zoo gates are locked, so theirs no way out. Theyencounter him many tomes. The zoo elaphants end up being the ones that save their lives. The police come and the crook is arrested. The setting in this book is in the Seattle zoo in modern day time. The theme in this story is love and courage. Ellen and Corey have to set aside their differences in order to stay alive. They also have to be very courages to stay alive. I thought this book was a great book because it kept you on your toes the whole time.

Terror at the Zoo By Peg Kehret
The book is called Terror at the Zoo. The author is Peg Kehret. The main characters are Ellen and her brother Cory. Ellen thinks that her up coming birthday will make her more mature, but all Corey can think about is another fantasy story to make up.The plot of the story is that Ellen and Corey got a gift certificate to spend the night at the local zoo. Their grandparents will be taking them, because their parents will be out of town. Days before they go, their grandma breaks her foot. Their parents say that they will fly in early so that they can take them. When that day does come, their parents aren't there. Ellen thinks that they will be ther sonn, so she writes a note and she and her take a cab to the zoo. They wait outside the gates for hours, but their parents aren't there. So they go to the area where their campsite is.They wait some more then decide to go exploring. Afterall, this is their first time at the zoo at night. They come across an excaped prisoner and he spots them too. Now, thay are on the runs for their lives. All the zoo gates are locked, so theirs no way out. Theyencounter him many tomes. The zoo elaphants end up being the ones that save their lives. The police come and the crook is arrested. The setting in this book is in the Seattle zoo in modern day time. The theme in this story is love and courage. Ellen and Corey have to set aside their differences in order to stay alive. They also have to be very courages to stay alive. I thought this book was a great book because it kept you on your toes the whole time.

Terror at the Zoo
The book is called Terror at the Zoo. The author is Peg Kehret. The main characters are Ellen & her brother Corey. The plot of the story is that ellen and Corey got a gift certificate for a camp out at the local zoo. Their grandparents will be taking them because their parents will be out of town. Days before, their grandma breaks her foot. Their parents say they will try to make it home to go with them. When that day does comes, her parents are not there. Ellen thinks that her parents will be home soon, so she writes a note, and her and her brother take a cab to the zoo. They wait for hours and their parents still don't show up. So they go into the zoo were their camp site is. They wait more and decide to explore the zoo. Afterall, they have never been in the zoo at night. When they are exporing they come across a escaped prisoner braking into the concession stand. The crook spots them, and now they are on the run for their lives. They encounter him many times. The zoo elaphants end up being the ones who save their lives. the police come, and the crook is arrested. The setting takes place in the zoo in modern day time. The theme of this story is courage and love. It is this because, they have to be courageous to survive. They also have to stick together, and work together to survive. I really liked this book because it kept you on your feet the whole time.

Terror at the Zoo
Terror At The Zoo

This book is about two children, Ellen and Corey, when on their birthday they are given an overnight pass so they can stay the night at the zoo.They're excited, but when they find out that they are trapped in, and the pay phone is disconnected, they panic.It doesn't help that they hear sounds and see a........ Well you will have to read to find out what happens.This book will keep you on the edge of your seat because when you think that one thing will happen something totally different happens.I would defiantly recommend this book because I really enjoyed reading this suspenseful, high climax book.People who are mystery lovers and like a book that they can't put down will love Terror at the Zoo.I have learned from this book that you should always have a way to contact someone when you go somewhere.


... Read more

Product Description
This delightful adaptation of the children's classic, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,takes readers to the zoo, as preparations are under way forZoo Day.But things aren't going according to plan . . . The llamas won t quit spitting, the giraffes are drooling, and the zebras aren't happy at all with their stripes. Meanwhile, the zookeepers are scurrying this way and that, cleaning up poop, ringing mealtime bells, and trying to get the animals bathed. But are the naughty elephants listening? Not a chance. And if that wasn't bad enough, a poor alligator mistakes a bee for a fly, and instead of eating supper, he gets stung in the eye! Does it all work out? Will the zookeepers end up spending the night at the zoo? Will Zoo Day go off without a hitch, or will the dancing monkeys take over? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

ADORABLE!
This book sparkles!

A twist on the Night Before Christmas, if offers us a zany view of llamas and zebras and giraffes--oh my!--as animal keepers prepare for zoo day.

The verse is playful and engaging; the illustrations outstanding. It's a keeper--one of those books kids will want to read over and over again.

A super kids' book
Catherine Ipcizade's 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day is a clever adaptation of the classic, `Twas the Night Before Christmas, complete with rhyme. Hang on for a ride, parents. This book is a `giggler,' and you'll have to fight to keep from laughing out loud while you're reading it-and you'll be interrupted by the children's laughter while you're reading it to them. But that's a good thing.

Every person and every animal is getting ready for Zoo Day, but there isn't much that's going the way it should. The animals are not cooperating. Whew! Perhaps when Zoo Day arrives the llamas won't spit, the giraffes won't drool or burp, the elephants won't roll in the dirt and soak everyone with trunks filled with water, and the zebras will finally be satisfied with their stripes. But even then, there are so many more animals in the zoo and other things might happen. Will Zoo Day be successful? You'll just have to read the book to see! I'd watch those pesky monkeys though.

`Twas the Day Before Zoo Day is destined to be a child's favorite with the comical telling of the story and the fun illustrations. The added attraction is the activities and animal fun facts at the back of the book

Armchair Interviews says: Boys and girls will love `Twas the Day Before Zoo Day. ... Read more

Book Description
A guide to 173 zoos and aquariums across the United States.Emphasis is placed on the vital role that modern zoos and aquariums play in public education and wildlife conservation.Includes visitor information, directions from local highways, a listing of special exhibits, data on breeding achievements, a schedule of seasonal festivals and a summary of research activities for each institution. Designed primarily for travelers and zoo lovers, the book is illustrated with maps and photos. ... Read more

Book Description
From the moment the very first animals–two small, bedraggled prairie dogs–arrived at the Bronx Zoo in 1899, history was being made.
Zookeeping has steadily been evolving over the years: Today, animals that would once have been kept in iron cages roam freely in habitats similar to real prairies, jungles, and forests.
With engaging animal photos and lively anecdotes, Wild Lives takes readers through a century of zookeeping at one of the most-beloved zoos in the world, and shares what zoologists have learned over the years about keeping wild animals. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on July 22, 2007. The length of the article is 1088 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: At the zoo, every picture tells a story.(General News)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: July 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: G1

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
All of the animals in the train are going to the zoo—one elephant, two hippos, three giraffes, all the way up to ten birds! Eric Carle’s classic counting book has never been so much fun. Kids will love to color their favorite animals and complete the activities on every page. They can unfold the back cover to see the animals play at the zoo and to practice their counting. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

This is a coloring book!
They describe this as being a board book with great illustrations, but it's not.It's a coloring book!I was very disappointed when receiving this in the mail because we're big Eric Carle fans and I was expecting to find a book of his colorful characters and numbers.A real let down.

19 Month Old Loves It, Getting Interested in Numbers
1, 2,3 TO THE ZOO has been a big hit at our house. The board book editions of Eric Carle's books that we have tried have all been excellent.

1, 2,3 TO THE ZOO gives us a number of things to talk about as we flip through the pages:
- 10 different zoo animals: introduced one by one, and then you can look for them on the last page, which shows all in the zoo
- Numbers: introduced one by one, so that you can acount the number of animals on each page. There are also many beautiful numbers on the inside cover pages, which my toddler loves to look at.
- A train: the first page shows an engine, and you see the boxcars with animals getting added at the bottom of each page, until the last page when all the cars are empty
- The little mouse that appears on each page: a totally inspired addition by Carle, as our baby loves to look for the mouse on each page

Our toddler seems increasingly interested in numbers, and this book seems like a great way to feed that interest. We have had the book for three weeks, so it is not brand new, and he currently asks to read 1, 2,3 TO THE ZOO three to four times a day.

My daughter likes it.
My daughter really likes this book. She likes all the books that we have by Eric Carle. My only complaint is, I wish it had more words. There isn't any story to it at all. It's just counting. But maybe it's that simplicity that my 2 1/2 yr old likes. Overall, I have to say good book because it is something she will sit and listen to.

Average
This book is average. My daughter doesn't really like it...nothing in the book catches her attention.

A Pleasant Surprise
When we got this book, wasn't sure it was going to be much, but loved Eric Carle.Was pleasantly surprised how much my son (18 months) loved it.He enjoys all of the different animals and counting them - and the little mouse.He especially loves the big fold out drawing at the end and pointing to everything we saw on the train.

I love the simplicity of it because I can suppliment additional info on the animals based on his experience! ... Read more

Book Description
Come to the zoo with Tana Hoban! Look at the animals. What are they? What are they like? The youngest visitor to this zoo can identify the creatures and describe them -- starting with Tana Hoban's words and adding to them. And, for those who want it, there is a glossary that includes where each animal lives and what it eats.

Tana Hoban's stunning photographs will captivate young naturalists everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Good Book For Very Young Children
I came to this page (Amazon reviews for the book A Children's Zoo) after puzzling over why this book was on my entering kindergartners summer reading list.It is a nicely photographed book but not one I would think appropriate for anyone over 3 years of age.Certainly my boy and girl,newly 3 and 5 respectively, were uninteresting in it.

Perhaps this is because they are already familiar with these animals (kodiak bear, penguin, hippo, zebra, polar bear, sea lion, lion, parrot, elephant, panda, and giraffe) and found nothing new about the presentation.[Hippo in water.Sea Lion in water.Polar Bears on fake mountain.]

In any case, I would not suggest you buy this for anyone 4 and above:2.5 Stars.

Simple and great
This book in so nice for the 3 to 4 year old range.The pictures catch their eye but at the same time they are learning about language.My 3 year old autistic son enjoys and learns from this book.What more can you ask?

Reviewing A Children's Zoo
A Children's Zoo is an excellent book for any preschool classroom.Tana Hoban provides fantastic large photographs of individual zoo animals on each double page.Next to each picture she uses large print to list adjectives describing each animal.The large print supports early literacy skills as well as providing cues to focus readers when looking at the animal photographs.This is one of my favorites! ... Read more

Amazon.com
This book is not for children, nor is it likely to be recycled as a calendar or a booklet of postcards. It has, however, established its young creator as a talent on the rise in Europe. Jaschinski, a German-born photographer based in London, lets her stark black-and-white compositions stand without commentary; viewers are left to form their own opinions.Among these dark and unsettling images of animals behind bars is a haunting--and nearly heart-breaking--picture of a decidedly unhappy gibbon, imploring the camera to free him from captivity. Words could only diminish its impact.Book Description
This book is not for children, nor is it likely to be recycled as a calendar or a booklet of postcards. It has, however, established its young creator as a talent on the rise in Europe. Jaschinski, a German-born photographer based in London, lets her stark black-and-white compositions stand without commentary; viewers are left to form their own opinions.Among these dark and unsettling images of animals behind bars is a haunting--and nearly heart-breaking--picture of a decidedly unhappy gibbon, imploring the camera to free him from captivity. Words could only diminish its impact. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Unforgettable.
An unforgettable read.
Without a word and thus with incredible strength. It's not a political message, it's not an argument with solutions to problems.
It's just an extremely strong and human message.
A book I wish more people would read.

An Inspiration
This book rekindled my interest in B&W photography...and since I live near a major zoo, also zoo photography. Not every photo is of the same quality, but in this book are the most singularly beautiful B&W images I have ever seen! The layout and quality are tops. I LOVE THIS BOOK. Now having said that, I must admit I love zoos...and thank heavens for them for keeping alive some of nature's most wonderful creatures which have been suffering terribly in recent years in the wild. The damage done to wildlife conservation by the Sierra Clubs and the PETAs of the world cannot be understated. So, I do not agree with her message but I love her spectacular images.

A Beautiful Yet Sad Book of Captured "Wildlife" Pictures
As youngsters most of us felt excited when we went to zoos to see"wild" animals.This book shows us how things may look like fromthe other side of the cage/barrier.The Images are stunning not only fortheir artistic beauty but also the message they convey: unforgettable yetheart-breaking.The composition and lighting of the black and white printsare just great.

Captivating imagery
Never have I seen a collection of photography like this book. The book notonly shows the beauty of all sorts of animals but also depicts theharshness of the reality they face each day living in a zoo. The contrastbetween nature's awesome creatures and man's desire to put them on displayis a haunting story. This photographer tells it well. ... Read more

Product Description
An ordinary trip to the zoo turns out to be extraordinary... as an imaginative, fun-filled, animal adventure takes hold of a little girl. (Meanwhile, her poor beleaguered parents experience an adventure of their own.) It s a trip youngest animal lovers, explorers and dreamers will want to take again and again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An unexpected and rewarding adventure
Suzy Lee's The Zoo is a picture book in which the words only tell a small part of the story. A young girl visits the zoo, apparently in Korea, with her parents. The text, a few words per page, gives a simple recounting of events. "We visited the aviary, and then the gorillas", etc. But behind the scenes, two parallel adventures occur.

The initial scenes are very detailed, and drawn mostly in shades of gray. The only comes from a peacock, wandering loose about the zoo. The animal cages seem oddly deserted, with the inhabitants not to be found. And then the little girl wanders off, following the peacock into a world of color.

Alternating pages show the increasingly frantic parents, still in gray, looking for their missing daughter. Meanwhile, the daughter plays with the animals, loose in some sort of idyllic forest scene. The scenes with the girl and the animals are clearly not real, but reflect every child's wish-fulfillment. Getting sprayed by an elephant. Sliding down the neck of a giraffe, into the waiting arms of a gorilla. Soaring with the birds. Smiling, playful animals everywhere you look. In the end, the relieved parents find the girl, fast asleep on a bench, dreaming about the animals.

Both sets of illustrations reward close study. The "real world" scenes are pencil sketches in muted colors, with, in a few cases, cut-out paper dolls apparently overlaid on the page. They are filled with realistic details, like the face mask worn by the balloon seller on the first page, and the spilled trash here and there on the ground inside the zoo. The people represent a wide spectrum of humanity, from snooty woman with backpack, to fighting young boys, to coy teenage girls, to parents with cameras, teacher with students, and smiling, pig-nosed sisters. Only our young heroine displays a splash of color in her cheeks.

The animal scenes, by contrast, are awash with color, deceptively crude colored pencil sketches of smiling animals. The trees in the background sometimes look like origami, made from brightly colored paper. The grass and sky bear the marks of heavy scribbling, to fill in the background. There's no strict adherence to the "right colors" either. The elephants are shaded with purple and green. The trees have orange, pink and purple branches. The bear is brown, overlaid with a touch of blue. The colored pages look, in short, like something that a kid (albeit a very talented kid) would draw.

The parallel tales are linked. As the parents run past the empty aviary, their daughter is flying through the sky with the birds. The animals are missing from all of the realistic scenes, as though, just perhaps, they might really be off visiting the girl's imagination.

This is a book for any child who loves animals, and thinks that zoos are paradise. It's also a book for any parent who has temporarily misplaced a child - the parents' fear is palpable (and, happily, relieved by the end of the story). All in all, it's an unexpected and rewarding adventure.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on March 14, 2007.

Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo
American publishers, by and large, move with the speed of pure, refined molasses when it comes to introducing U.S. audiences to foreign picture books.Considering the scads of remarkable books available all over the world, it's a crying shame that more than 95% of what we see on the American picture book market tends to be of the homegrown variety.Don't expect this situation to get better any time soon either.With cries proclaiming that picture books are no longer profitable, I wouldn't be any too surprised if publishers decide to play it "safe" for the next few years.Maybe that's why I like Kane/Miller so much.Far from limiting their scope, they do everything in their power to bring this country some eclectic, fun, and funny titles from a variety of different regions.Take Korea.You may have read a Korean picture book once or twice in your life.I myself am rather fond of, "While We Were Out" Ho Baek Lee (who is South Korean).But while we might be able to rustle up some Korean-American writers, books straight out of that general vicinity are not entirely common."The Zoo", by Suzy Lee ends up all the sweeter then as a result.Not only is it a visually stimulating lark but it also happens to be one of the more creative picture books you're likely to get your hands on this coming season.

A child is going to the zoo with her mom and dad.Sadly, there isn't much to see in the uniformly empty cages.So as the older members of the family strain to catch even a glimpse of a bear on Bear Hill, the little girl follows a wayward peacock.Immediately the bird leads her to a multi-colored landscape where the child plays gleefully amongst watering holes, long-necked giraffes, and (in a burst of flight) even the sky itself.The parents are in a panic, but soon find their little one sleeping peacefully on one of the zoo's many benches.Was it real or just a dream?The answer is left to the reader.One thing everyone can agree on though, "I love the zoo.It's very exciting.Mom and Dad think so too."

The feel of the book took me back to my childhood.I lived during the heyday of foreign language children's programming, where animated shorts from all over the world would sometimes play on basic cable.Reading "The Zoo" is a similar experience.Everything in the book is easy to understand with a straightforward plot.Yet at the same time, it feels different from the roughly 2 billion based-in-Brooklyn storybooks currently out there.The signs are in Korean.The people are all Korean.The feel of the narrative, scope of the vision, and subject matter (which I doubt any American writer could get away with here) is foreign to our senses.

The cover says it all.You go to the zoo and what do you get a ton of?Empty cages.It's very interesting, but this book actually requires that you remove the dust jacket to get the whole story.Take off the dust jacket and the empty cage on the cover wraps around to reveal an escaping gorilla on the endpapers making good his escape.Turn to the back of the book and the gorilla is back in his cage tenderly holding a hot pink shoe.The shoe, actually, is a testament to Lee's playful sense of humor.Sharp-eyed readers will be able to detect the exact moment when the little girl's shoe falls and into what pair of hands it lands.Better still is the fact that she is not seen wearing a second shoe for half of the book, playing with the sense of what is real and what is make-believe here.Sadly, for all its cleverness and (dare I say) necessity, the cover may turn off potential purchasers.Empty cages that make a point are all well and good, but if a browsing patron isn't interested in reading the book through they may discount the drab gray packaging too soon.

As for the art, it balances the monochrome blue-gray dreariness of mundane everyday life with the sparkle, color, and flash of the animal kingdom.The first official two page spread shows the family entering the zoo, with the only visible color appearing on the girl's flushed cheeks and a peacock sitting high above.While the text reads off a seemingly mundane list of places visited, the girl and her peacock friend are easily identifiable by the splotches of bright shades and hues adorning them.You can also spot the girl via the bird-shaped balloon that hangs above her.That balloon goes on a kind of journey of its own, as it happens, and it's well worth rereading the book to discover where it goes.Lee never drops a single detail, and in the midst of raucous colors, fine drawing, and panache there's a current of realism beneath it all.When the parents discover that their daughter is missing, distraught doesn't even cover what they're feeling.She may be having a wonderful time with the animals, but reflected in the hippo's watering hole is the face of every parents' deepest fear.

Is it for all parents?Oh lordy begordy, no.Wish it were the case, but you're undoubtedly going to get a couple here and there that see this book as a story where it's okay to run away from your parents in a public space.Obviously, every child that reads this book isn't going to be instantly swept up in the notion of going walkabout on the next family outing would lead to adventure.Still, it's hard to brush the image of the girls' parents running as fast as possible through the empty zoo in a blind panic.Personally, I think the book identifies how wonderful freedom feels to a child.You're forever under someone's protection.How cool would it be then to transfer that protection to the wild and wacky animals in the zoo?Add in the amazing details, good storytelling, and smart art and there's very little left to gripe about.

Frankly, I see no reason why a person couldn't pair this book easily alongside Peggy Rathmann's, "Goodnight, Gorilla", for an entirely zoo-oriented bedtime series.There's a lot of sleeping and animalian mischief going on in both of these titles."The Zoo" is going to be one of those books that catches on purely through word-of-mouth.As smart and funny as it is, American consumers will need to know about it from a reliable source before giving themselves over to its purchase.Trust me then when I tell you that this one's a keeper.Subtle without being so understated as to alienate its child readers, this book feels like a silent film where the narrator sits next to you, quietly telling you the story.Rare and wonderful.

Innovative art, a charming story
I love Kane/Miller, a publishing house that specializes in reprinting foreign titles. I especially love discovering that parents overseas are as neurotic as myself. When I first had my son, my family dispensed such loving advice as, "try to remember where you put the baby."

So I had great empathy for the couple in this book, who are merely a backdrop to the little girl who narrates. It's really two stories: the girl's version, told in words, and the "reality" we see in clashing sets of pictures.

Lee uses colored pencils, graph paper and cut paper collage to give us the crowded zoo on a clear, autumn day. Everything's gray or slate, except for a lovely peacock in brilliant blues and purples. Uh-oh. Guess who's eye roves? The little girl's!

And our eye follows the stream of color too, throughout drawings with depth and perspective that nonetheless remain uncluttered and clear.

In the little girl's version, she's having a fun day looking at animals. In the gray reality, she's off chasing that bird, lurching into a rainbow-colored series of pencil sketches as the girl frolics with various animals. She's fully immersed in fantasy, or is she? Meanwhile, it takes gray, dull Daddy a couple pages to notice he's holding only a balloon where a little girl's hand should be. Whoops.

Lee then cuts back and forth between the two adventures: the girl's and her frantic parents. Been there, done that, had the heart attack. If this doesn't make you chuckle knowingly, you don't have kids. ... Read more

Book Description
Take science to the zoo with you with The Kids' Guide to Zoo Animals, the latest book from award-winning biologist and photographer Michelle Gilders, author of Why Am I Rare?The Kids' Guide to Zoo Animals details 200 popular zoo animals-all illustrated in full color-with information on their classification, description, diet, habitat, behavior and range. From Axolotl and Addax to Waterbuck and Zebra, The Kids' Guide to Zoo Animals takes budding biologists into a world populated by poisonous amphibians, huge herbivores, stealthy predators, colorful birds and primeval reptiles. Enter the world of the red tomato frog of Madagascar, whose brilliant color warns predators to keep their distance, or the world of the resourceful coyote, who is equally at home in the wilderness or in our own backyards. Discover how the Komodo dragon dispatches it prey and how African wild dogs raise their young. Find out who has a 45-cm-long purple tongue and who has 13 poisonous spines along its back.The educational and entertaining text provides useful background information on the role of zoos in conservation and what it really means for a species to be "threatened" or "endangered." Learn how to make your visit to the zoo more informative and how to track down that elusive animal you just have to see.More than 200 color photographs and maps illustrate this guide, making it a valuable reference for the home-and to take to the zoo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Don't lump me with that lot...
Don't get me wrong, this is a book with a lot of potential; yet it is so drenched in evolutionary prattle, that I find myself retching on the poison (look up drench, it has two meanings).
Luckily, I didn't purchase this book; I checked it out from the library. I was excited about going to the zoo with my children and using it. That is until I came across a page with photographs of... people?!?! Yep, we're animals too, and the author was polite enough do a little write-up for us; complete with height, weight, lifespan, diet, habitat, etc. What surprised me the most was the description, "The human is a tall ape that walks on two feet. Although it appears largely hairless, it is typically covered with fine hairs on its body and longer hair on its head." Was the author writing this book for some "higher" species that we don't know about yet? I'm sorry but I am not a primate, my ancestors were not primates, chimpanzees, apes or anything of the sort. I am a descendant of Adam and Eve, just like everyone else. Needless to say this book will be going back to the library tomorrow where, unfortunately, someone else's children can be brain washed into believing they're only animals. And people wonder why we have school shootings. "The animals can kill each other and that's ok, so..."
Don't blame me.

An enjoyable exploration of the wondrous diversity of nature
The Kids' Guide To Zoo Animals is a simple field guide featuring 200 popular zoo animals. Though intended for young adults, it is a reference that, although brief in descriptive information on each species, does not talk down to the reader and will appeal to all ages. Each animal listing covers one page and includes color photographs, and information concerning the animal's description, diet, habitat, behavior, IUCN status, and threats to the species' survival. An enjoyable exploration of the wondrous diversity of nature.
... Read more

Book Description
How many different ways of walking can you name? Join a parade of animals on their way to the zoo to find out! Can you prance like a lion? Dance like a gazelle? Can you saunter like a giraffe? Kangaroo jump? March like a camel with a bumpity hump? Simms Taback's big, bright, and bold illustrations make following these wild and wonderful creatures more fun than a barrel of monkeys! ... Read more

Book Description
"A smart giraffe thinks up a clever plan to reach the greener grass across the moat's ditch. By spreading his front legs in a widespread V, he can make his neck a bridge to reach the grass. Looking on are giraffe's three bird friends---the oxpecker tick bird(Peck), the lappet-faced vulture(Vulch) and the gold crowned crane(Crown).

The charm of this children's story is the example of the giraffe's self reliance and belief in himself. The three birds that are supposed to be displayed with the giraffe at the zoo add exciting interest.

Since the background to the illustrations depict the Sedwick County Zoo at Wichita, Kansas, it immortalizes the Sedgwick County Zoo.

Musical, "stretching" vocabulary stimulates imagination and readability for children." ... Read more