Construction Zoo

by Jennifer Thorne, Susie Hammer (Illustrator)

Overview

It’s a quiet morning at the zoo, until some strange new creatures roll in—trucks and bulldozers and wrecking balls! They’re tumbling, digging, and roaring alongside the animals. Giraffe, rhino, the monkeys, and the tigers watch the new creatures and, soon, are playing with their new friends. It's party time at the Construction Zoo! But…what happens when the construction is over? Will the party be over, too? The clever rhyming text and simple, bold art will appeal to both kids and their parents.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807512821
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	10/01/2018
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Thorne has a BFA in Drama from NYC-Tisch and enjoys studying classical voice, learning languages, and traveling the world. She is the author of the young adult novels The Inside of Out and The Wrong Side of Right.Susie Hammer is a freelance illustrator and graphic artist from Poland.

Editorial Reviews

"The hitherto-unseen alliance of dual toddler obsessions comes together at last. Its bounce makes this ideal storytime fare, and it rhymes perfectly….consider this a one-stop shopping source when zoo and construction needs must be simultaneously met."—Kirkus Reviews


"Readers will love seeing animals and vehicles juxtaposed throughout...A great read-aloud."—Booklist

From the Publisher

2018-07-24

The hitherto-unseen alliance of dual toddler obsessions (construction equipment and zoo animals) comes together at last.

When a team of brassy construction vehicles drives through the local zoo, the animal residents aren't quite sure what to think. Yet even the most preliminary investigations reveal that there's something special about these trucks. The rhino finds a temperamental soul mate in the bulldozer, the monkeys play with the wrecking ball, and the giant tortoise sees a kindred spirit in the dump truck. It isn't long before the animals are aiding their newfound friends. Thorne manages to play completely fair with the construction/zoo pairings, coming up with occasionally inspired duos, as with the giraffe and the crane or the elephant and the excavator. Graphic elements have a brightly colored geometry to their designs. The angular art has an almost structural simplicity, but it's a pity the illustrator failed to show any changes between the zoo before the construction and afterward. Though readers are assured at the end that "now the zoo is twice the fun," it's not at all clear how this might be. From the standpoint of the text, its bounce makes this ideal storytime fare, and it rhymes perfectly, with the possible exception of an awkward stanza near the end.

Minor missteps aside, consider this a one-stop shopping source when zoo and construction needs must be simultaneously met. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews