The Way to the Zoo

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Book Information

Category
Picture Book
Illustrator
Publisher
Candlewick Press August 2014

My days  of leading daily circle times have long since passed.Nevertheless, my concept of a perfect  circle time picture book for young childrenremains the same: It is a  strikingly-illustrated book that, when read aloud,sparks both wonder and  laughter.THE WAY  TO THE ZOO by John Burningham is exactly this sort of picturebook.One  evening, while nodding off, Sylvie thinks she can see a previouslyunseen door  in the wall of her bedroom.  The  following night, she manages tolocate and open the door.  She ventures through it and finds that  it leads,via a staircase and passageway, to the zoo.That  first night:“Sylvie  asked a little bear to come back with her.  He did and slept inher bed.“She made  sure the bear was back in the zoo and the door in the wall wasclosed before she  left for school.”On  subsequent evenings, Sylvie returns to the zoo and provides asuccession of  creatures the opportunity to spend the night sleeping over.  Wedelight in the chaotic antics of  Sylvie and the wild animals in the house, andempathize with the poor baby  elephant that is “too big for the passageway.”Of  course, something is eventually bound to go wrong with such a wonderful arrangement.“One  morning Sylvie woke up very late and had to rush to get ready forschool.  When she came home later that day, she  knew something was wrong.There  were noises coming from the living room.  She had forgotten to close thedoor in her bedroom  wall.”

Right  here, I can feel the excitement building in me as I imagine having abunch of  kids sitting around me as I turn the page and share the crazyscene that she  finds in the living room...and then turn another page to sharethe illustration  of Sylvie’s loud reaction. Now she must work to clean upthe mess in time for  her mother’s arrival home.She  ALMOST succeeds.

John  Burningham has written and/or illustrated so many well-loved booksover the past  half-century.  The hilarity and  sweetness of THE WAY TO THEZOO, coupled with the not-to-be-missed expressions  on the characters faces inthis little-girl-and-her-animal-buddies tale makes  this my new favorite ofMr. Burningham’s books.

978-0-7636-7317-8   40 pages   Ages  4-8

Recommended by:  Richie  Partington, MLIS, Librarian, California USA

See more of his recommendations:  Richie's  Picks  (https://richiespicks.com/)

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