The Zoo Inside Me

Sometimes we feel brave as a lion or shy like a mouse . . . and that zoo inside our heads can make us behave differently on the outside.

Feelings can be hard to understand. You can't see it, but this little boy is part mischievous monkey, part curious llama, and part chameleon, hiding from the world. It feels to him like there's not enough room for all of those jumbling feelings inside, but the zoo in all of us makes us who we are—reaching out to the world from the part you can't see. And sometimes, all it takes to make things right is friendship—and to realize that everyone else has a zoo inside them, too.

This is a picture book that champions our emotions, feelings, and behaviors in a way that makes them feel relatable and easier to understand.

Ruth Doyle always planned to be a writer, but she trained as a nurse and studied social care first in order to gain a better understanding of people of all ages and walks of life. She lives and writes in the UK.

Yessica Baeten has an MA in children's book illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. Yessica is passionate about stories, and hers are often humorous, with a sensitive note. She is based in the Netherlands.