Zoo Day

by Anne Rockwell, Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)

Overview

Beloved author Anne Rockwell celebrates animals of all kinds with a gorgeous new picture book about a child’s first visit to the zoo!

A young boy and his family visit the zoo for the very first time. From gorillas to lions, polar bears to parrots, Anne Rockwell and her daughter, artist Lizzy Rockwell, celebrate a day he will never forget. With simple, lyrical text and bright illustrations that jump off the page, Zoo Day brings the joys of visiting the zoo vividly to life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481427364
Publisher:	Aladdin
Publication date:	01/10/2017
Series:	My First Experience Book Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
File size:	53 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anne Rockwell (1934–2018) has written numerous books for children, including At the Beach and The First Snowfall, both illustrated by Harlow Rockwell. 

Lizzy Rockwell has illustrated several books written by her mother as well as many of her own titles. She lives with her family in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

12/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—A boy describes his first trip to the zoo with his family. Howls, squawks, barks, splashes, grunts, and whistles are just some of the sounds he hears as they walk past the cages. "I hold my father's hand tightly because the roars make me a little nervous." A full-spread map of the zoo reveals all the habitats and animals that the family will visit. They begin at the Jungle House to see the busy monkeys, followed by Gorilla Forest. Next they stop by the African Plain to view the elephants, ostriches, zebras, and giraffes. At the Reptile House, they see a boa constrictor, a poisonous coral snake, and a painted turtle. The boy's little sister runs ahead when they get to the polar bears. The children love watching the big white bears "in their underwater dance," but their father hurries them along because it's feeding time for the sea lions. As the zookeeper throws the shiny silver fish to the excited barking diners, the boy realizes he, too, is hungry. After a picnic lunch, they walk through the Bird House, where there are no cages, and a parrot rests on the boy's shoulder to drink nectar from a paper cup. "I wish I could bring him home," he laments, but they do get souvenir balloons to keep. Rockwell's signature watercolor illustrations depict a loving, brown-skinned, pink-cheeked family and an exciting array of animals eating, playing, and caring for their young. VERDICT In addition to preparing youngsters for a trip to the zoo, this title can be used with early elementary students to model personal narrative. A pleasing, straightforward introduction.—Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools

School Library Journal

2016-09-19
A little boy visits the zoo for the first time and is enthralled by all its wonders. Joined by his parents and sister, Lucy, the boy relates each part of the day, from buying tickets to studying the zoo map and the slightly alarming animal sounds he hears in the near distance. But as they wind their way through the park, visiting the Jungle House to see the monkeys, the Gorilla Forest, the African Plain and its elephants, the lions inside the Grasslands building, the Reptile House, and polar bears and sea lions, the new experience of seeing the animals and their behaviors up close fascinates this youngster. The initial trepidation the boy felt at the beginning of his day gives way to sheer delight in the Bird House, where the birds fly freely and a parrot lands on his shoulder for a sip of nectar. A picnic lunch and a couple of balloons for souvenirs complete the perfect Saturday outing for this brown-skinned family of four. Detailed watercolors rendered in soft hues fluently complement the boy’s first-person narrative and give readers a firsthand view of the zoo’s residents. Following on Library Day (2016), this is a lovely addition to the creators’ series on first experiences. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews