What's New? The Zoo!

April 28, 2014
From their beginnings as private collections of the rich and powerful to the mass attractions and conservation hubs they are today, zoos have an interesting and sometimes odd history, as Krull (the Lives of... series) details. From Indonesia to Italy, Sweden to San Diego, colorful headings on each page introduce a place and year where zoo history was made, and a short paragraph follows (in 16th-century Afghanistan and India, “Akbar the Great treats his one thousand cheetahs more kindly than most people of his time. To care for them and the other animals he befriends, he builds zoos much grander than any in Europe in the lands he conquers”). Readers learn about a holy water–spraying elephant in Rome in 1513 and a hairdo-inspiring giraffe in 1827 France. Hall’s (Everyone Sleeps) ink-and-watercolor illustrations, vignettelike in their half-page displays, feature expressive eyes on both animals and humans in many spreads. The art’s spare, naïve style fits the brief-text format as the narrative moves briskly and chronologically through some highlights of zoo history, avoiding any controversial aspects. Kids of all ages will be left craving a trip to the zoo. Ages 4–8.

May 1, 2014
For at least 4,400 years, people have collected and displayed animals for entertainment, education and enlightenment.From the long-ago kingdom of Ur, where the ruler enjoyed roaring at his lions, to San Diego, Calif., home of a popular panda cub today, zoos have provided public and private amusement and instruction for thousands of years. Krull's fast-paced survey offers a different animal collection on nearly every page. Date and place serve as headings; a paragraph of description follows. She's found intriguing examples including a "Garden of Intelligence" in ancient China, an aviary-cum-dining hall in Rome, a particularly extensive holding belonging to Aztec emperor Moctezuma II and a present-day bird park in Bali, Indonesia. She mentions zoo conservation work and the move toward natural housing for the animals. The text is lively and often humorous. There's the elephant who sprayed a 16th-century pope and 15 "very confused American buffalo" in Grand Central Terminal in New York. Hall's watercolor-and-ink illustrations, familiar to readers of the New Yorker and other magazines for adults, work equally well for a child audience. His fluidly drawn animals have amusing, slightly goofy expressions, the people are remarkably varied, and the settings include recognizable elements from historical times and places. Varying from vignettes to double-page spreads, these images add greatly to the overall appeal.A romp through zoo history presented with pizzazz. (sources) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from May 1, 2014

Gr 2-5-A whirlwind, episodic tour of zoos around the world through the ages. Krull takes readers back 4000 years to zoos in Sumeria and ancient China, India, Greece, and Ethiopia, as well as to the menageries of Kublai Khan, Charlemagne, Pope Leo, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II straight through to modern times. She briefly describes each zoo or collection in a brief paragraph stuffed with fascinating facts that intrigue while they inform. The book ends with modern-day zoos and efforts to save species and reintroduce some of them back into their natural habitats. The author describes the many reasons for building zoos-to study and classify the animal kingdom, connect humans with nature, and awe visitors-in a lighthearted way. The full-color ink and watercolor illustrations are rendered in a sketchy, elastic, cartoon style and feature a wonderful multicultural cast and playful moments for sharp-eyed readers to spot. This thoroughly researched title cites sources that include books and websites, making it ideal for browsing purposes or for school reports.-Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2014
Grades K-3 Beginning 4,400 years ago, Krull traces the history of zoos, starting with the Sumerian city of Ur (in what is now Iraq) and moving around the world, through such places as Greece, Egypt, Rome, China, France, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and all the way to contemporary San Diego. Most every zoo gets a page to itself, with a short descriptive paragraph highlighting its history and noting the personages responsible (including the likes of folks such as Charlemagne, Kublai Khan, and Moctezuma II) and the particular animals they collected. These small blocks of text are surrounded by Hall's inviting images, which help make the information more accessible. The broad, warm, ink-and-watercolor paintings are peppered with comic detail (note the iconic blue NYC Greek-key coffee cup on Aristotle's table). Final pages sum up zoos' contributions to contemporary science and culture. Curious children will enjoy such an investigative celebration.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)