Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo

I feel like I'm writing two reviews here because my views on the illustrations and the text are so different!

The illustrations are painfully odd in some ways. They're pretty, yes, and they feel alive in a way, and you can really see the animals moving and all that - great. But the zoo itself alternates wildly between an extremely old-fashioned zoo of steel bars and barren cages (grr!) and one with basically no enclosures whatsoever such that the animals could hop out of their slightly raised platform and onto the paths at any old time! Either one of those zoo models would be strange to me, but both in one zoo seems... odd. (Why do the apes even NEED to get the keys when none of the animals are "locked" anywhere, anyway?)

As for the text, show more it's funny and bouncy, and has a few opportunities to build your kid's vocabulary. Yes, I'm talking about the words "malicious" and "conniving". I don't know about YOU, but I would describe a plan by apes to free the animals and lock up the people as, yes, malicious. And I would say sneaking around to do it is conniving. I'm not... I'm not really sure when it became a crime to call a spade a spade unless the spade was light and fluffy.

As far as warning the kids... well! If all these bad things might happen because you shout in a zoo, I'd like to be warned too! And if I shouted anyway, I wouldn't be surprised to get a few friendly "I told you so's" when all was said and done.

But don't ask me, ask my nieces (in pre-k and the first grade). Did they feel upset at the language in this book? Did it scare them? Was it, in fact, horrific?

No. Actually, they laughed and asked me to read it again. show less

Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo by Karma Wilson tells the story of a girl who shouts and causes a series of events in a zoo. The book teaches children that their behavior has consequences, showing how one shout can create chaos. It encourages kids to think before they act. Through the girl's actions, she learns that shouting (in a zoo) leads to problems. The picture book features simple, fun text and bright illustrations. The rhyming and repetitive style makes it enjoyable for children to read aloud and helps with language skills. The humor appeals to children and adults, while the lively pictures bring the zoo and its animals to life. It is also relatable to many children because many have been to the zoo or enjoy animals, which helps them show more feel engaged in the story.

I rated this book 5 out of 5 because it brings me a lot of nostalgia. My brother and I used to read it all the time! Now that I'm an adult, I feel it still holds well. However, the character doesn't undergo significant development. I believe it conveys valuable messages. Additionally, it illustrates the cause-and-effect relationship in a way that is friendly and accessible for young readers. show less

A fun book about a little girl at the zoo who trips, spills her ice cream, and then yells, which causes all sorts of misadventure with the zoo animals. The rhymes in this book mostly focus on the last word of each phrase, but they work naturally into the storyline. There is also a nice amount of repetition (but not too much) in the text as well. The illustrations are lovely and greatly add to the text.

This is would be a fun book to read aloud to children and have them repeat with me the repeated phrase "Uh-oh! Don't say I didn't warn you." This book is on the lighter side, but can generate wonderful conversation about consequences and even perhaps dialog about zoos and their purpose (and if they are a good thing or not).

37 months - My daughter enjoyed this book and keeps asking Dadda to read it. She loves learning new words and using them in correct context so no doubt she'll be tell someone they're being malicious any day now. My husband is not a fan, I think he found the repetition to get old quickly. I enjoyed the story and didn't mind the repetition because I too loved the new vocabulary words. The illustrations however seem inconsistent.

Although animals would not really get loose at a zoo, this book shows children that they need to be considerate of the animals at a zoo. It depicts the setting of a zoo to children. Additionally, the rhyming words in the book help children predict what the words will be in the text. It also contains larger, more difficult words that are a great way to expand children's vocabulary. It is a fun and entertaining book for children that keeps them wondering what will happen next in this chaotic zoo.

Genre: Fantasy
Medium: watercolor and colored pencils
This is a book about a little girl that says you can't shout in the zoo, because all of the animals will break loose and lock up all the humans. This book has lots of rhyming, and there are bolded adjectives on every page. I think this would be a good book to use when explaining what adjectives are to a first or second grade class. This is also a fun book to talk about animals and the zoo with.

This is a book about how it is a bad idea to be yelling in a zoo. It is also a rhyming book. I think rhyming books are good for younger children because it makes it more fun for them and more entertaining.