The Lending Zoo

February 1, 2016
Yes, it works just like a library does: patrons check out real zoo animals to take home. It’s a terrific idea, but Asch (the Moonbear series) opts for a plot that dampens the possibilities rather than amplifies them. His focus is on a chase involving an escaped tiger, Pancake, and his pursuers, “zoobrarian” Miss Perkins and new patron Molly. The elegantly patterned Pancake exudes an intriguing sense of self-possession, and there’s a brief, shining moment when he gives Miss Perkins a dignified and heartfelt hug. But the illustrations’ visual and emotional flatness leeches out much of the whimsy, even when Miss Perkins and Molly zoom over the city rooftops on a motor scooter as Pancake serenely walks past them on a building below. The story wraps up with the narrative equivalent of a shrug: Pancake turns up back where he belongs, prompting the zookeeper to declare, “I guess he just needed some fresh air and exercise!” Lending Zoo posters seen throughout the book (“Take Home a Toucan Today”) give readers a glimpse at what might have been. Ages 4–8.

March 15, 2016
Grades K-2 In Asch's latest, zoos are the new libraries, and kids and adults alike come to check out animals from cheery Miss Perkins. The last person in line is a new girl named Molly, but before she can make her selection, the news comes that Pancake the tiger is gone! Miss Perkins isn't one to panic, so she and Molly calmly follow the tiger's paw prints through the zoo, before hopping on Miss Perkins' scooter to track him through the city and parks. Eventually, the paw prints lead them right back to where they started, and all ends well. Pancake has returned home, and Molly gets to check out the animal she wanted all along: a tiger. The offbeat digital illustrations, rendered in soft pastels, depict a cornucopia of zoo animals and a multiracial group of patrons waiting to check them out. Young readers will enjoy following Pancake's paw prints across the pages as Miss Perkins tracks him down, and the concept of a lending zoo is sure to tickle the fancy of many.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)