A favorite summertime day-trip or school-year destination, a visit to the zoo means a good time for kids. Supplement your tried-and-true titles with a selection of newer books that feature zoo adventures, both true-life and imaginary.
Fraidyzoo. by Thyra Heder. illus. by author. Abrams. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781419707766.
PreS-Gr 2–Little T is not excited about her family’s trip to the zoo; in fact, she’s petrified. Her empathetic parents and big sister delay the outing in order to determine just which animal might be causing anxiety, imitating zoo dwellers from Alligator to Zebra with a creative mix of pantomime, verbal hints, and costumes cobbled together from cardboard boxes and household items. A day filled with family fun and affection leaves Little T feeling much braver, and a surprise twist supplies the perfect dénouement. Readers will enjoy poring over the exuberant artwork and envisioning their own beastly getups.
Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. by Katherine Applegate. illus. by G.
Brian Karas. Clarion. Oct. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780544252301.
K-Gr 4–Applegate presents the true-life story that inspired her Newbery Award-winning novel, The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins, 2012). Poetic text and subdued pencil-and-wash illustrations introduce a baby gorilla born in the African rain forest, captured by poachers, and transported to Tacoma, Washington, where he lived in a home like a human child until his size required him to be relegated to a steel-and-concrete cage in a shopping mall. For 27 years, Ivan led a lonely existence, sometimes finger-painting or watching TV, until the efforts of protestors—both young and old—resulted in his relocation to Zoo Atlanta, “a place with trees/and grass/and other gorillas/at last.” Additional information and photos complete this beautifully presented, emotionally affecting, and ultimately uplifting picture book.
The Menagerie. by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland. Harper. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780060780647; pap. $6.99. ISBN 9780060780661; ebook $6.99. ISBN 9780062202901.
Gr 5-8–When an odd, feathered-and-furred critter turns up under his bed, Logan, new to sleepy Xanadu, Wyoming, is in for a shock. Squorp is a baby griffin, escaped from a top-secret zoo filled with magical and mythical beasts and run by a fellow seventh-grader and her family. Desperate to track down the other missing cubs before the problem is discovered and the Menagerie is shut down, Zoe enlists Logan’s help. Suddenly, he is immersed in a world of jaw-dropping wonders and embroiled in the mystery of just who might be trying to sabotage the zoo. Likable characters, well-concocted details, and a bewitching blend of the realistic and fantasy elements make this a page-turning adventure for reading alone or aloud. The series continues with The Menagerie: Dragon on Trial (Harper, 2014).
A Mom for Umande. by Maria Faulconer. illus. by Susan Kathleen Hartung. Dial. 2014. Tr $16.99.
ISBN 9780803737624.
K-Gr 2–When a gorilla is born on a cold winter’s night, and his too-young mother doesn’t know to pick him up, zoo keepers step in to wrap him in blankets and cuddle him close. For eight months, dedicated staffers play the role of mom, caring for Umande and teaching him gorilla behavior, but something is still missing. After a journey to another zoo, Umande finally finds contentment in the loving arms of an experienced gorilla mother. Illustrated with softly textured artwork, this based-on-true-events tale integrates well-researched details with sweet emotion.
A Moose That Says Moo. by Jennifer Hamburg. illus. by Sue Truesdell. Farrar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780374350581.
PreS-Gr 2–Daydreaming in her backyard, a young girl invents inhabitants for an imaginary menagerie that include the title creature as well as book-reading sharks, skunks that jump rope, and macaroni-and-cheese-baking tigers. After an animal pillow fight and other oddball escapades, she realizes that she has created a “zoo-rific mess” and sets things right; that is, until she gets her next bright idea (a juggling hen). An enchanting make-believe romp with buoyant rhymes and sprightly artwork.
Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo. by John Lithgow. illus. by Leeza Hernandez. S & S. 2013.Tr
$17.99. ISBN 9781442467439; ebook $10.99. ISBN 9781442467446.
PreS-Gr 2–A boy is just dozing off during an outdoor concert when zoo critters storm the stage, steal away the instruments, and settle down to perform. Musical mayhem ensues as a yak plays the sax, a bonobo plays oboe, a ferret plays flute, and more, until the animal artistes finish their piece, take a bow, and contentedly return to their enclosures. Bursting with color, texture, and humor, the cartoon artwork is in perfect harmony with the zany lyrics. A read-aloud with pizzazz, this book also includes a CD of Lithgow performing the song with an orchestra.
Panda-Monium at Peek Zoo. by Kevin Waldron. illus. by author. Candlewick/Templar. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780763666583.
PreS-Gr 2–Mr. Peek is planning a special event to celebrate the birth of a panda and wants everything in “apple-pie order.” However, his absent-minded approach to doing chores results in penguins running loose, an overheated polar bear, and a missing guest of honor. Fortunately, unflappable young Jimmy is on top of his game, fixing his father’s mishaps, and engineering a happy ending. Visual hijinks abound in the brightly colored retro-style illustrations, which culminate with a fold-out animal parade (and one final comical calamity).
Poached. by Stuart Gibbs. S & S. 2014. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9781442467774; ebook $10.99. ISBN
9781442467798.
Gr 5-8–The sleuthing star of Belly Up (S & S, 2010) returns in another action-packed mystery set at FunJungle, a massive Texas zoo and theme park where his parents work. Forced into pulling a prank by a bully, 12-year-old Teddy ends up hiding in Kazoo’s enclosure on the very evening that the koala goes missing, and is designated as number-one suspect. Determined to clear his name—and save the koala—he launches an investigation fraught with shady suspects, surprising twists and turns, and thrills galore. This satisfying whodunit is infused with middle school sensibilities, outrageous shenanigans, and animal facts.
Splat and the Cool School Trip. by Rob Scotton. illus. by author. Harper. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062133861.
K-Gr 2–The feisty feline and his classmates are heading for the zoo, and even though his friend, Seymour, must be left behind (because elephants are afraid of mice), Splat can’t wait to see his favorite animals: penguins! When Seymour unexpectedly arrives on a paper airplane and crash-lands on the elephant’s trunk, the ensuing hullabaloo results in a stampeding pachyderm, a penguin-house closure, and a very disappointed kitty. Never fear, Seymour finds a way to ensure a brighter-than-blue-skies ending. Scotton’s madcap cartoons power this crowd-pleasing read-aloud.
The Way to the Zoo. by John Burningham. illus. by author. Candlewick. Aug. 2014. Tr $15.99. ISBN
9780763673178.
PreS-Gr 2–Sylvie slips through a mysterious door in her bedroom wall and finds a secret passageway to the zoo and an assemblage of friendly animals. She takes a little brown bear back to her room to snuggle with, returning him early the next morning, and on the nights following, hosts an array of eager guests. Forgetting to close the door, she returns from school to discover a living room bursting with uninvited beasts. The quiet girl releases a roar that sends the critters scrambling and allows her to clean up before her mother gets home. Burningham’s charming watercolors and child-savvy viewpoint make this frolicsome fantasy irresistible.
What’s New? The Zoo!: A Zippy History of Zoos. by Kathleen Krull. illus. by Marcellus Hall. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Bks. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545135719.
Gr 2-5–From the world’s first-known zoo in the ancient city of Ur to modern-day menageries, this engaging picture book spans centuries, continents, and cultures to provide a spellbinding and informative overview. Vivacious vignettes blend fascinating facts with playful watercolor paintings to reveal hilarious highpoints—a holy-water-spraying elephant dousing a pope in 16th-century Rome or 15 American buffalo trooping through New York’s Grand Central Terminal en route to re-populating the West in 1907—while also touching upon the many reasons zoos are created and the important work of wildlife conservation.
Xander’s Panda Party. by Linda Sue Park. illus. by Matt Phelan. Clarion. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN
9780547558653.
PreS-Gr 3–Xander wants to have a panda “whoop-de-do” at the zoo, but since he’s the only member of his species living there, he must rethink the guest list. With much bamboo-chewing contemplation, he gradually extends the invitation to all bears, then all mammals, and finally, all creatures (including a captivating black-and-white beauty just-arrived from China. Euphonious rhymes, gleeful watercolors, and gentle humor showcase the animal characters and celebrate themes of friendship and inclusiveness.