I'm in the Zoo, Too! - Hardcover

Ashabranner, Brent

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525650024 ISBN 13: 9780525650027

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers, 1989

Synopsis

Anxious to be part of the zoo instead of just living on the grounds, Burl the squirrel decides to talk to the animals and find out how to get in.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2-- In a contemporary version of Aesop's The Dog and the Wolf, Burl the squirrel decides it would be more interesting to be a zoo exhibit than just a squirrel living in the zoo park. He canvasses several of the animals to find out how to qualify as a zoo resident, but getting locked in an empty cage turns out to be more than he bargained for. He returns to his family, deciding that although he will visit from time to time, living in the zoo is not as desirable as he had thought. Stevens' familiar humorous illustrations, with her characters occasionally bulging out of their frames, succeed better than the text. Washes of bright color are supported in close-up by black line drawing. Human characters are a nice mix of ages, sexes, and races; and animal characters, except when communicating with each other, are more realistically portrayed than in Stevens' earlier work, in keeping with their realistic setting. Ashabranner's story, too, has touches of humor, as when Burl identifies himself proudly as not just any old generic squirrel, but as an Eastern Gray Squirrel. The "grass is greener" theme and the reassuring return home are scaled to younger readers, but the premise is awkwardly stated and therefore confusing. There are other thin spots too--if the squirrel family can see what the monkeys are eating, why can't they see Burl locked in the nearby cage? Stevens' fans will enjoy this picture book, but because of its weak story line, it's not a first purchase. --Barbara Hutcheson, Greater Victoria Public Library, B.C., Canada
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0525650024
• ISBN 13: 9780525650027
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32