Zoo Do's and Don'ts

August 4, 2000
K-Gr 2-In Friends, children read about both human and animal pals. The text and illustrations are equally funny: "Best friends will forgive you even if you step on their paw" faces an illustration of a yowling dog with a bandaged foot. In Zoo, "Do go to the movies with a skunk" is accompanied by a picture of a skunk in a theater with three friends. "Don't make her mad" features the malodorous skunk seated all alone. Children will laugh out loud at these tongue-in-cheek efforts. The bold colors and silly stick figures outlined in black will capture their attention and clarify the texts. The books' small size may make them difficult to share with large audiences, but consider them for more intimate storytimes.-Olga R. Barnes, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, NC

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.