Product Description

TWIN POLAR BEAR CUBS

Kalluk and Tatqiq were only three months old when they were found orphaned in Alaska. Together they were brought to the World-Famous San Diego Zoo to be cared for.

From the cubs' first tentative months in the zoo's infirmary to their home in the Polar Bear Plunge, this book chronicles the twins' development with exclusive photographs from the zoo and Joanne Ryder's poetic, informative text. Playful and curious, Kalluk and Tatqiq have won the hearts of more than three million people who visit the zoo each year. Whether they're diving into the water, rolling in the dirt, or sliding down a snowdrift, these adorable bears will charm readers of all ages. ... Read more

Product Description
Animals are hot! Animal Planet rules TV ratings. The Lion King reigns on Broadway. March of the Penguins was boffo. Polar bear cub Knut is an international celebrity. Zoos are educational, cheaper than amusement parks, fun for the whole family, and attract more visitors than spectator sports. America's Best Zoos is a comprehensive guide to a true family entertainment bargain. Arranged geographically for touring convenience, it gives detailed descriptions of top zoos across the country. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Dissapointing
I was really excited about getting my hands on this book but ended up sorely disappointed. I was hoping for more information about the zoos. This, instead, is just an opinionated tour guidethat's very brief and now outdated. I don't think a few words on the 'top' exhibits really tells me much more than that the authors can compile a list.

A Zoopendous Guide for your next Zoocation
Where was this book when I was a kid? Now that I am a parent though, I am just as thankful for it. This book reviews zoos big and small, far and wide, and provides pretty much every relevant piece of information that a zoo-goer could want in preparation for their visit. The majority of the book is broken down into individual reviews of the more noteworthy zoos in each region. Each review includes important information like the zoo website, hours of operation, admission, etc. and then focuses on the "featured exhibits", "for the kids", "edutainment", and "don't miss". At the end of the book are a couple of excellent appendices "The Top 10 US Zoo Exhibits in 20 Categories" and "Each Author's Picks for the Top 25 US Zoo Exhibits". So for example if you or your family loves looking at tigers and other Asian animals you will see that the Bronx Zoo and the Columbus Zoo are the top ranked in this category. Likewise if your local zoo does not feature a particular animal, in my case there are no hippos at the Bronx Zoo, then be sure to check out the Miami Metrozoo, San Diego Zoo, or Denver Zoo (which is what we did) on your next Zoocation. The authors have a great website associated with the book [...]and to top it off you can communicate with them directly via email and expect a fast response. Well organized and full of useful information - a must have for all zoo fans out there.

A Fantastic Travel Book!!!
What a terrific book!!!

"America's Best Zoos" is an amazingly detailed book that contains a wealth of information on the 60 best zoos in the United States. There are pages of data concerning zoo hours, admission fees, directions, featured exhibits, animals in the collections and upcoming attractions. Each of the 60 zoos has been given several pages in this new book, and an additional 37 zoos are mentioned in brief paragraphs as well. Anyone travelling across the nation will have a handy guide to family attractions that should appeal to any adult or child.

At the back of the book are 20 categories that provide top ten lists for zoos in terms of african animals in the collection, asian animals, bears, primates, birds, marine mammals, etc. If an avid zoo fan has an interest in a particular species of animal, there are additional listings of where the best locations are for such creatures. The icing on the cake for this superb book is the inclusion of a list of the 25 best U.S. zoo exhibits from each of the authors. Considering that there are around 220 accredited zoos in the United States, the lists are truly detailed and provide information on "the best of the best" in terms of zoological exhibit design. Any individual who is even remotely interested in zoos should definitely own this book!!

Depressingly Outdated
Exotic animals on display is a form of entertainment that is as modern as the freak show.This book provides some information on some of the worst zoos in the country but makes them sound like acceptable family entertainment.Very misleading and outdated - don't waste your money!Go support a true animal-loving place like Dame Daphne Sheldrick's elephant orphanage in Kenya.

Excellent Guide for Zoo Lovers
Allen and Jon have put together a very comprehensive and detailed guide to the best zoos in America.I was very impressed with the detail devoted to each park profiled and found their reviews to be very fair and unbiased.They highlight the best exhibits in each zoo and provide other information regarding the other exhibits in the zoo.I especially enjoyed their last highlight for each zoo where they describe future plans for new exhibits.

I was an existing zoo and aquarium fan and often visited any animal park in each city I visited.This book brought to my attention many zoos which I either did not know existed or did not know were such fine zoos.I have already planned many trips this year to visit multiple zoos highlighted in the book.

Any person that enjoys and appreciates the care and conservation of wild animals will find this to be an enjoyable guide to the many excellent and often, unappreciated, zoos in this country. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to 173 zoos and aquariums across the United States.Emphasis is placed on the vital role that modern zoos and aquariums play in public education and wildlife conservation.Includes visitor information, directions from local highways, a listing of special exhibits, data on breeding achievements, a schedule of seasonal festivals and a summary of research activities for each institution.Designed primarily for travelers and zoo lovers, the book is illustrated with maps and photos. ... Read more

Product Description
A baby's photo board book follows in the tradition of Animal Time! and highlights a parade of babies dressed in endearing animal costumes, from a roly-poly bear cub to a perky penguin to a lovable alligator. For children under three. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Cute babies!
Our year old daughter loves this book and Funny Farm (Tom Arma).She loves all the little babies dressed up.I recommend a hardcover because it gets so much use!Tom Arma does awesome pictures, she loves reading his books and brings them to us daily (again and again!).

Zoo Crew is super for toddlers!
My 15 month-old son loves this book so much that he brings it everywhere!There is something about other babies that just fascinate other babies!Tom Arma does a super job with the pictures!I highly recommend this and all his books!

A Read Again (and Again!) Favorite at Our House
My son (currently 17 months old) has loved this book since he first layed eyes on it four months ago.

Each animal in this zoo is represented by a baby dressed up in an animal costume.My son first payed attention to the baby faces in the book and has since started pointing to the costumes and the various aspects of the animals that are pointed out in the book.That sounds a bit dull when I write that, but it's really quite fun to watch and listen to him exclaim over moose antlers and crocodile tails.I'm more than happy to read it over and over again for that reason, as well as the fact that I think the pictures are quite cute, too.

If I had to make a complaint it would be that the costumes are sometimes a little more representative than accurate.That is, the peacock is dressed in a brilliant blue all over, which is different from the real bird.But there are other books to teach my son that (as well as real zoos!).

This book is helping him to love books even more as he looks at the faces of the other babies and the costumes they are wearing.

A Wonderful Day at the Zoo!
My 9 month old daughter absolutely loves this book.The illustrations are terrific, they are bold and beautiful.Within this book it shows pictures of animals(babies) that you would see at the zoo, and tells of the noisessome of them make.It also describes what special features some of themhave.A few example are as follows: A gorilla has fur, a Frog says"ribbit" (this photo is our favorite), a Moose has antlers, butPeacocks really dress in style!

Tom Arma does a wonderful job putting hisbooks together.I find that my daughter really likes to look at thesebooks.When we sit down to read together she always manages to grab one ofhis books.When we read this book, I try to make the animal noise thatgoes along with the photo.She normally gets a good laugh when I dothis.

We would also highly recommend these books by Tom Arma: "Funny Farm" and "Water Babies".We also wouldrecommend "Tyke Osaurs".These books are great for the youngreaders in your life.And this parent really enjoys reading them with mydaughter.I really look forward to story time when we read any of thesebooks. ... Read more

Product Description
‘Before the zoo opens each day a small army of keepers, vendors, and maintenance workers perform the daily tasks of cleaning and setting up. Then the crowds flock in. . . . The busy pictures are filled with details and action. The writing is crisp, clear, and informative.’ —SLJ.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1987 (NSTA/CBC) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

My 2 year old loves this book
My 2 year old loves this book.It is one of her favorites (The Zoo is her favorite place to visit).

Review of Zoo by Gail Gibbons
In this book, Gibbons includes all important facts about the zoo presenting the information clearly and directly.The organization of the text is sequential from early morning at the zoo until nightfall.The purpose of the book is portrayed through the text and illustrations.The bright, colorful illustrations compliment the text and are clearly labeled using appropriate vocabulary for the intended age level.The book is very appropriate for young readers and would be a valuable resource for learning about the zoo.

Great behind-the-scenes look at the zoo
For all the children who go to the zoo and enjoy looking at the animals, Gail Gibbons presents a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at all the work that makes it possible. From the zookeepers arriving in the early morning to feed the animals and clean their cages and the vendors preparing for the zoo's visitors, to the security guard locking the main gate and patroling the empty walkways, the book does a nice job of giving children a more in-depth view of the zoo. Veterinarians help sick animals and monitor the birth of baby animals. Construction workers build a new exhibit. Zoo keepers prepare the special foods that the animals eat.

Both my boys were able to easily relate things they'd seen at our zoo to the book. Their next visit, too, was filled with applying what they'd seen in the book to our zoo.

Gibbons' books are always excellent. Zoo brings alive a favorite place to visit in a very unique way. ... Read more

Product Description

Something strange is happening at the Clarksville City Zoo. Late at night, monkeys are scaling the walls and searching the neighborhood— but what are they looking for?

Customer Reviews (10)

review of the secret zoo
Hi my name is Sydney. I'm going into 4th grade and my dad got me this book over the summer. This book is definetly an adventure.This would be a good book for you if you like action,animals and freaky monkeys. :)
I can't wait until Bryan Chick comes out with his next book!

The Secret Zoo
I ordered this for a friend's child as a birthday present but never heard any comment about it.I read a little bit about this book before ordering it and I thought it's a great book to get.Thank you.

The Secret Zoo
This was a fun book! I am an teacher and bought this book to add to my library. I read it myself and really enjoyed it as an adventurous, unique animal story.

Kids with love it - even boys!
I lead a book club with my son's class each year. He is in 4th grade. Our group read The Secret Zoo this winter. All 7 kids loved it! I assigned pages each week and they complained every week about having to wait to read on. They stopped me in the halls to discuss what they thought was going to happen next.

They story is unique and very well told. While some parents may be put off by the "missing child" in the beginning of the story, we must remember that adult imagination is far more dark than a child's imagination when it comes to that topic - it never occurred to my group that she wouldn't be found, safe and sound. They were more excited about how she would be found. The vivid descriptions get the kids started in the right direction, but then let imagination take over.

The 4 heroes of book have traits with which every kid can identify. The characters bring a lot of humor to the books, especially Ella and Richie. My son was laughing out loud at times. The resolution is intense, but the humor and quick pace keeps it from getting too frightening.

The concept of the story really intrigued my group. I know when I took my son to the zoo a couple weeks after reading it, he found all sorts of potentials "secret zoo" entrances.

So, I have 7 kids anxiously awaiting the start of book club next year so they can find out what the Adventure Scouts are up to next. They've passed the book on to friends so my book club may be a little larger next year! Kids excited about reading - isn't that every parents dream?!

FYI - I also read The Secret Zoo aloud to my 1st grader and she loved it, too!

THIS IS SURE TO BE A HIT!
I am a third grade teacher who is still reading this book to my class...and we are ADDICTED to it!It is one of the best books I have read to my class in a long time. The book is filled with descriptive language, suspense, and a lot of action and adventure.My students beg me to read more and more each day.We have had a lot of great discussions and have applied the story to many of our literacy lessons...especially with vocabulary.I can only imagine that with more exposure, this book is going to be a hit.I can even see it becoming a successful movie!We are looking forward to the next book in the series! ... Read more

Product Description
Sing-a-long to this wild new version of The Wheels on the Bus. Kids sing and act out motions as they learn about animals in the zoo. Preschoolers love to flap their wings like a toucan, raise their trunks like an elephant, and more. Enjoy the beautiful watercolor artwork in this playful book. The whole family can have fun at home...or in the car driving to the zoo! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

My daughter's favorite!
Absolutely our favorite book. My 14
Month old loves to makes the motions, to look at the pictures, and to listen to her parents sing the words. Wonderful book!

Great Fun
Read/sang "Animals in the Zoo" to my three-year-old's preschool class and it was a smashing hit (the kids voted it their favorite among the six books I read).Sung to the tune of "wheels on the bus," and the kids instantly starting acting out the animal movements as they joined in the song.This fun book is in the daily reading rotation and will likely stay there for quite a while.

Your child or grandchild will love this book!
Children love reading/singing Animals In the Zoo.I highly reccommend this to parents, grandparents, and teachers to read/sing with the children.It is educational as kids learn the animals as they sing along as well as lots of fun. My nephews and nieces kept saying "lets do it again".

Kids loved it
Not only did my 5 year old love it, but my toddlers did as well. The illustrations are great and my 5 Yr old now reads it to her younger brothers.Just a fun experience for all of us!

Great Children's Board Book
Our kids love playing with the book. We all love the art work. Our 20 month old picks up the book most days and does the animal motions. The older kids love to sing along. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a collection of work by photographer Britta Jaschinski depicting the condition of animals in zoos and the issues their captivity provokes. The photographs are dark, capturing a fragmentary glance of the animal, whether a paw gripping an iron bar or a dolphin below the surface of a pool.Amazon.com Review
This book is not for children, nor is it likely to be recycledas a calendar or a booklet of postcards. It has, however, establishedits young creator as a talent on the rise in Europe. Jaschinski, aGerman-born photographer based in London, lets her starkblack-and-white compositions stand without commentary; viewers areleft to form their own opinions.Among these dark and unsettlingimages of animals behind bars is a haunting--and nearlyheart-breaking--picture of a decidedly unhappy gibbon, imploring thecamera to free him from captivity. Words could only diminish itsimpact. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

striking images, powerful message
Britta Jachinski's "Zoo" is a startling and moving portrait of our animal friends and the way humankind treats them. Her photographs are at once beautiful and heart-breaking; Britta's sensitivity and insight are boundless. Her message is powerful, and one that she relays with earnesty and great passion. This book inspires me to do better, to live better, and to love better.

Unforgettable.
An unforgettable read.
Without a word and thus with incredible strength. It's not a political message, it's not an argument with solutions to problems.
It's just an extremely strong and human message.
A book I wish more people would read.

An Inspiration
This book rekindled my interest in B&W photography...and since I live near a major zoo, also zoo photography. Not every photo is of the same quality, but in this book are the most singularly beautiful B&W images I have ever seen! The layout and quality are tops. I LOVE THIS BOOK. Now having said that, I must admit I love zoos...and thank heavens for them for keeping alive some of nature's most wonderful creatures which have been suffering terribly in recent years in the wild. The damage done to wildlife conservation by the Sierra Clubs and the PETAs of the world cannot be understated. So, I do not agree with her message but I love her spectacular images.

A Beautiful Yet Sad Book of Captured "Wildlife" Pictures
As youngsters most of us felt excited when we went to zoos to see"wild" animals.This book shows us how things may look like fromthe other side of the cage/barrier.The Images are stunning not only fortheir artistic beauty but also the message they convey: unforgettable yetheart-breaking.The composition and lighting of the black and white printsare just great.

Captivating imagery
Never have I seen a collection of photography like this book. The book notonly shows the beauty of all sorts of animals but also depicts theharshness of the reality they face each day living in a zoo. The contrastbetween nature's awesome creatures and man's desire to put them on displayis a haunting story. This photographer tells it well. ... Read more

Product Description
Bruno Munari was an internationally acclaimed artist, designer, and children's book creator. Acontemporary of Leo Leonni, his books have been hailed as "among the most original, inventive and beautiful ever created." Zoo is among his most graphically stunning works. Meet the kangaroo, who is all legs but doesn't know it, the zebra in his striped pajamas, and the humpy camel, who has a seat for you. Young readers will enjoy Munari's bright, bold illustrations; older readers will appreciate his wry humor. From children to collectors, Bruno Munari's Zoo is certain to enchant a whole new generation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent zoo book for young children.
After taking our twin 2 1/2 year old grandson's to the zoo, we unsuccessfully look at the zoo gift shop for a book that would highlight animals that we had seen on that visit.Hard to imagine, but there were non.Many of the books dealt with one animal not a cross range.Therefore, returning home, I searched out this book by Bruno Munari.It is excellent and my daughter and thetwins are very happy with my choice.

My kids love it
The best part is the line about the zebra's striped pajamas.Really great illustrations.

High brow text for a low brow audience
There are a lot of animal books out there.There are a lot of zoo books out there.There are very few of said books that do it with this kind of ingenuity.The first time you read the lines "Flamingos know they are strange and beautiful and play at symmetry" to your 3 year old, you know you have stumbled on to a rare gem.

Will they know what symmetry is?Probably not, but you do -- and that is what is so great about this simple book.Everyone gets to enjoy the book, on whatever level they can appreciate it for. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Zoo Design:The Reality of Wild Illusions
This text is the definitive book used in design, construction, management, and overall understanding of what is necessary for creation of zoological habitats and maintaining the physical and psychological health of animals.I am a high school teacher that has used this book to help students design zoological habitat models using the varying aspects of this book as the principle behind teaching students about animal conservation, education, research, and entertainment.It is one of the only books written that was designed as a text to cover the importance of creation of habitats that are not only people friendly, zoo staff friendly, but most importantly animal friendly.This is a textbook for coursework designed at the college level, but it can very easily be adapted to help the secondary teacher as well.Excellent resource.When initially looking for a resource this book was recommended from 15 zoos throughout the nation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A delight to read
This was a hit with my child! She found it at the library and now I am searching for a used copy of it. Mister Muster likes to go to the zoo every day to see his animal friends. When the weather is bad and he can't go, he is very sad and so are the animals. One day the elephant steals the key to the cages and lets all the animals go. They all head to Mister Muster's apartment for a visit. When the police show up to take the animals back to the zoo, they hide in various places around the apartment. My little girl thought it was so funny to see the elephants trying to hide under the bed and the monkeys in the sink. Mister Muster ends up being the assistant zoo keeper and every one is happily situated at the zoo.

Up there with Andrew Henry's Meadow
Reading the book A ZOO FOR MISTER MUSTER by Arnold Lobel is a great childhood memory.I was delighted to find it at a local thrift shop recently so that I may share it with my neices and nephews.

The simple story about Mister Muster and his love for the animals at the zoo and their subsequent love for him, along with all of the imaginative illustrations made me, as a child, wonder if un-domesticated animals and people could really co-habitate.I was happy that Mister Muster eventually got to be the zoo keeper after the animals revolted and ran away to his house!

And the imaginative places the animals hid is just where a child would hide if they wanted to hide.

It's a must read for any child--especially the imaginative and sensitive kind! ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the work of the veterinarians at the San Diego Zoo as they treat sick and injured animals and work to save species through conservation and breeding programs. ... Read more

Product Description

A heart can be hopeful, or silly, or happy. A heart can be rugged, or snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and debut author-artist Michael Hall captures each one with a delicate touch.

Customer Reviews (13)

My Heart Is Like a Zoo
A perfect book! Colorful pictures, rhyming text, a built in counting activity, not to mention art ideas with geometric shapes...plus, a sweet child in the end.

Great book
I bought this book as a gift for my 16 month old grandson.He and his 3 year old sister both really like it.It is very cute, colorful, and fun for both kiddos!

So creative!
This book not only has a cute little story about animals, but the illustrations of the animals are almost entirely made out of brightly-colored hearts! My son and I loved this book. I think I may need to buy this one...

Early readers will learn about animals, learn how to find shapes, and practice counting.
//My Heart is Like a Zoo// bursts with vivid colors, fresh rhymes and twenty-one zoo animals cleverly illustrated with hearts - more than three hundred hearts in the book! Fresh metaphorical rhymes act as directional signs in a zoo, enticing a reader deeper and deeper into the animal menagerie. Each rhyme depicts an aspect of the heart, such as "eager", "hopeful", and "rugged". Early readers learn affirmations of the heart; they learn about animals, and how to find shapes, and they practice counting. The book finishes with the "zookeeper" happily tuckered out while his zoo animals wait on the shelf for the next day of play.

Author/illustrator Michael Hall uses sixteen hearts to illustrate, "quiet as a caterpillar wearing knitted socks." He uses another sixteen hearts to illustrate "bothered as a bull with a hornet in its hair." Hall is a professional graphic designer, and it shows in his work. His images are simple, yet compelling. Each one comes to life on the page. Children with an artistic or engineering sense will study each animal to see how heart-shapes can be transformed into animal-shapes. This is Hall's first book for children. We're sure to see many more books from this talented writer and illustrator.

Reviewed by Susan Roberts

great books for little ones
The bold block colors and shapes give this wonderful book a kindergarten-y feel. It's really fun for kids to find all the heart shapes and guess how many are on a page before finding them. If only I were this creative with construction paper when I was in kindergarten! ... Read more

Product Description
Book description to come. ... Read more

Product Description
When a lonely little frog arrives at the zoo, he is disappointed that all the other animals seem too busy to welcome him. His disappointment turns to delight, however, when the animals give their new friend a surprise party to welcome him to the group. Full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

daughter approved
My daughter loves all these books. I dont see why but she loves them, they're easy and repetitious. I thought they were too easy but she can sit there and read them over and over again. As long as she's happy :)

A Great Beginning for a Beginning Reader!
My daughter, while barely four, devours books.We've been working on phonics and found the basic level of this beginning reader wonderful.She was reading it back to her Father the same night!The author repeats wordsthroughout the book making words easier to identify for young readers. Truth be told, it was the illustrations with their brilliant colors thatfirst captured my daughters attention.The frog experiences a range ofemotions that open doors for conversation about how she might have felt inthe same situation.Even as an adult, I enjoyed the book and the feelingof watching your child develop a new skill is priceless. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes how the staff of the Denver Zoo saved the lives of the first polar bear cub twins raised in captivity without the help of their mother. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

pure perfection!
I had it in just 3 days - from the US to Denmark! Peak performance! And all in time for a very small person'
s B-day!

Heartwarming and Wonderful!
Although I did not see the television documentary on these two littledarlings, I nevertheless loved the book. Although they are now big bears,the story of little Klondike and Snow's early years is interesting,educational and touching. Abandoned by their mother as cubs, the two bearswere raised by humans. This book clearly illustrates the love and devotionof the Denver Zoo towards the cubs' care and development. Klondike and Snoware now thriving at Sea World's Wild Arctic exhibit, were they have plentyof living space and attention!

This book is wonderful for any animallover and people interested in animal/human interaction.

A Teacher's Review of"Klondike and Snow"
Anyone who was fascinated by the PBS program on these two polar bears will enjoy this book.It tells the story of their early years before being transfered to the Florida zoo.The photos are amazing!I've used thisbook as a resource with K-6th graders, and all ages have loved it.Thetext under the photos is very small and in blue, making it difficult toread, but the main text is fine, and otherwise the book is wonderful.Ihighly recommend it to anyone with an interest in these two very specialbears.

A Teacher's Review of"Klondike and Snow"
Anyone who was fascinated by the PBS program on these two polar bears will enjoy this book.It tells the story of their early years before being transfered to the Florida zoo.The photos are amazing!I've used thisbook as a resource with K-6th graders, and all ages have loved it.Thetext under the photos is very small and in blue, making it difficult toread, but the main text is fine, and otherwise the book is wonderful.Ihighly recommend it to anyone with an interest in these two very specialbears.

A Teacher's Review of"Klondike and Snow"
Anyone who was fascinated by the PBS program on these two polar bears will enjoy this book.It tells the story of their early years before being transfered to the Florida zoo.The photos are amazing!I've used thisbook as a resource with K-6th graders, and all ages have loved it.Thetext under the photos is very small and in blue, making it difficult toread, but the main text is fine, and otherwise the book is wonderful.Ihighly recommend it to anyone with an interest in these two very specialbears. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

A natural and innovative application of the Yoga practices
Yoga is too often depicted as something for crazed new age adults who wear necklaces with healing crystals hanging from their neck. "The Yoga Zoo Adventure: Animal Poses and Games for Little Kids" is a guide explaining how Yoga can be taught to children and give them much benefit and education in the process. The practices of yoga can inspire creativity, imagination on top of the much more obvious physical benefits of exercise to help kids get and stay fit. "The Yoga Zoo Adventure" is a natural and innovative application of the Yoga practices, highly recommended.

Easy language for children!
Reviewed by Cayden (age 4) and Max (age 2) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (9/08)

"The Yoga Zoo Adventure" is filled with yoga poses and fun games for young children.The book begins by giving a brief history of yoga and then goes on to explain why yoga is beneficial to young children."In essence, yoga is concerned with stilling your thought, which begins with simple forms of self-discipline and self-control." (p.3) Each one of the 106 activities in the book has easy-to-follow, detailed instructions.Following the activities there is a section on animal fables and another section that gives facts about the animals in the book.

After we went through the entire book here is what my children had to say:

Cayden: "I liked acting like all different kinds of animals!My favorite was when we were pretending to be giraffes looking for leaves way up high in the trees!I liked the wheelbarrow and zookeeper game too!It was fun when you (mom) did the animal poses and games too!I liked the stories and when we read the things about the animals that we were being."

Max:"Fun!Liked frog!Hop, hop!Snake and tiger too!"

Parent's comments:

My children and I really enjoyed this book!Even though on the cover it says it is for ages 3-7, Max, at 2, had a lot of fun with the poses and games as well.His coordination just isn't there for some of the activities but he still had a great time trying!I also loved the fables and facts at the end of the book; not only were my children exercising but they were learning as well!All of the activities were appealing to my children and "The Yoga Zoo Adventure" by Helen Purperhart will definitely be a book that we will use over and over again!

Great book!
The Yoga Zoo Adventure is a delightful book for children and parents alike. What a wonderful way to work both bonding time and exercise into a family's day. In today's society, is seems more and more difficult to find time and ways to really include vitally important family time in our daily lives. Through The Yoga Zoo Adventure, this can easily be done, as well as aiming for a more healthy lifestyle that is fun.

In The Yoga Zoo Adventure, your child will travel through a virtual zoo of their minds. Visiting such places as the Ape Cages, Desert Animal Compound, Reptile Building, Insect House, Predator Pavilions and the Aquarium just to name a few. Each section has easy to follow instructions for a yoga move that mimics the real action of an animal. An example of this is as follows:

Prowling like a shark:

~~ Lie on your tummy.
~~ Bend your legs up and point your toes toward the ceiling to make your "tale".
~~ Bring both arms behind you and entwine your fingers together.
~~ Slide your arms up to the middle of your back to make your "fins".
~~ Lift your head and swim like a shark prowling for food in the ocean by moving your tail back and forth and your fins up and down.
*taken from page 98 of The Yoga Zoo Adventure

Also included are fun bits of information on each animal, delightful games and songs and a great ending, complete with several pages discussing The Importance of Zoos and the animals that are included within the book. The Yoga Zoo Adventure is a great book for several reasons - it's fun, educational, promotes a healthy body and is a great tool to bring children and parents together. I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old and we had a ton of fun with this book. It states, on the cover, that the age range is 3 - 7, however I truly feel that The Yoga Zoo Adventure goes well beyond that age bracket.

Excellent and highly recommended!

Great Book
The Yoga Zoo Adventure by Helen Purperhart

I enjoyed this book. As I said before, I am not a yoga person but this book is a blast to do with children. Anyone that has kids at home or work with children like I do will love this book.Thumping like a gorilla or stomping like an elephant gets the kids imagination going, the heart pumping, and the giggles abound. We have done the butterfly change so many times I cant count and it works great after reading "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Just in time for spring!But the worse thing about this book is I can't keep it on my shelf!My friends keep borrowing it or the kids keep thumbing through it to find something new to try!!Just thing what fun it would be if you did like yoga....for me it is a keeper.

Healthy Fun for the Whole Family
The book is designed for ages 3 to 7, but it was easy enough to engage my older children, along with our toddler, in hours of laugh-out-loud, adventurous fun.

I've recently incorporated yoga into my own life and thought it would be great for my children to join me.The Yoga Zoo Adventure offers the perfect blend of simple yoga positions and creativity, offering a fresh approach to encouraging movement, self-expression, and relaxation.

The book contains easy to follow, step-by-step, instructions for games and activities, along with stories and a special learning section on zoo animals.Not only fun to complete, it's a joy to read.

A great way to engage your children with the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle, or a fun book to pick up on a rainy day.
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Product Description
In a unique zoo in one of the world's most turbulent regions, one man wages a strange and heroic battle for its animals' survival.

The last Palestinian zoo stands on a dusty, deadend street in the once prosperous farming town of Qalqilya, on the very edge of the West Bank.

The zoo's bars are rusting; peacocks wander quiet avenues shaded by broad plane trees; a teenage baboon broods in solitary confinement; walls bear the pockmarks of gunfire. And yet the zoo is an extraordinary place, with a bizarre, troubling and inspiring story to tell. At the center of this story is Dr. Sami Khader, the only zoo veterinarian in the Palestinian territories. Family man, amateur inventor, and dedicated taxidermist, he is fiercely independent, apolitical, and resourceful in times of crisis. Dr. Sami dreams of transforming the zoo into one of an international caliber.

In The Zoo on the Road to Nablus, Amelia Thomas brings the reader into a world rarely glimpsed from the outside, weaving the stories of the zoo's animals, its staff, and its visitors into a rich, colorful chronicle of the indomitability of the human--and animal--spirit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An enjoyable read
I came across this book through the recommendation of a friend. I was surprised at the extremes of emotion that are provoked by this book. I found myself laughing hysterically at the antics of Dr. Sami as he tried to keep his zoo running smoothly. At the end the story of the giraffe was very sad.
This book is very well written. It provides a unique insight into a volatile region. Speaking as an American, I am used to seeing people from this region reduced to caricatures by the news. This book shows the human side of the Palestinian people and how they deal with the occupation. This book is worth reading.

Determination in the face of chaos
This is a book that is interesting not only as the story of a zoo, but as a story of how people live during times of violence and war.Sami Khedar is the only veterinarian in Palestinian regions specializing in zoo animals.Although he is not the manager, he is the driving force behind the Qalailyazoo on the left bank of the Jordan river.Dr. Sami, as he is known, is determined to have a zoo that qualifies by international standards, and he is surprisingly undeterred by having to deal with war, in addition to standard, but exacerbated problems like red tape, competition for government funding, Sami nurses abandoned infants in his home, with the less than joyous cooperation of his wife.He builds three museums inside the zoo; he used his taxidermy skills to provide the exhibits for the Natural History Museum. He seeks assistance and animals from other zoos in the region, and often gets them with the help of other zookeepers and veterinarians who, like Sami, put their profession above politics.It is also somewhat surprising to read about life in a Palestinian city during the turmoil of Arab-Israeli struggles. I must say that I never expected one of the projects of the embattled government to be purchasing carnival rides to build a fun fair for the children.I guess that people struggle to maintain a normal life, and need to be able to convince themselves that their efforts will not be in vain. ... Read more

Product Description
A history of Chicago's world-famous zoo, from its conception in 1919. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Perfect for encouraging an early love of poetry
The poems in this beautifully illustrated book are perfect for children; short and silly yet well written.My 3-year old and I sit together and read the entire book, and we each have our favorite animal poem.A wonderful book- I will buy more of Florian's collections.

A review of a sort.
No one can accuse poet Douglas Florian of being uninterested in the public opinion of his work.Mr. Florian is one of the few relatively well-known children's writers out there who, by his own hand and without any interference on my part, was kind enough to ask me to review his book, "zoo's who" by e-mail.I, a lowly Amazon.com reviewer, was somewhat amazed to receive his request (all the more so when I noticed that it was written in brightly colored verse).I was reluctant initially, a reluctance that increased tenfold when I opened my most recent issue of School Library Journal and found that Mr. Florian had written a letter taking an SLJ reviewer to task for a) Incorrectly writing the title of his book with capital letters and b) not properly spacing the letters in his poem, "The Slugs", thereby nixing the point of the work.The fact that the review was a positive one did not stop Mr. Florian from his critique.Now I tend to write reviews of children's books with only the vaguest sense that the author may, at some time, care what I've written.I have never received an angry e-mail from someone like Carmen Agry Deedy for my review of her gawdawful, "The Yellow Star" or from Marcus Pfister for his lamentable, "Rainbow Fish".But then, I've never known for a fact that the author has or would, at some point, read what I've written.So do I shrink from my responsibilities and refuse to review this book simply because I can't write three words without wondering if they are "nice"?Do I shy away from this momentous occasion and leave the reviewing to somebody else?No sir!Onward I revieweth!

It helps that I liked the book too.Before you begin to sneer at me and say to yourself, "Well of COURSE she's not going to give the book a bad review (the coward)", I would like to note that Florian's books are of a very specific breed.They are not going to appeal to every child of every persuasion.The nine-year-old who fills their shelves with Shel Silverstein and (to a lesser extent) Jack Prelutsky is not going to immediately find a Florian unless directed to do so.Mr. Florian is, to his credit, not one of those numerous Silverstein knock-offs you stumble over in the poetry section of the library room.The man goes for grander visions.Big sweeping pictures that involve watercolor, gouache, colored pencils, inks, tin foil, candy wrappers (I'm not making this up, you know), shredded papers, stencils, rubber stamps, and (to quote the book's back page), "much collage on primed brown paper bags".The results are these ambitious animalian dreamscapes where the poems are merely half the final product.Quite frankly, I incline more towards poetry books like,"If Not For the Cat", but I can definitely see Florian's appeal.

If you've read a Florian before than you know what to expect.In this book we are treated to twenty-one poems of various wild creatures.Everything from lowly insects, to man-eating sharks, to sleepy creeping sloths have their moment in the sun here.It takes a while to get into the book, but once you do it's increasingly amusing.Not laugh-your-socks-off amusing.More mildly-chuckle-and-then-ponder-the-truth-in-the-writing amusing.Some poems are plays on words.The poem, "The Ant", consists of four panicked lines that read simply, "I wANTed to write / A poem on an ANT / I'm frANTic- / I cAN'T".I won't even repeat the lines in the poem "The Terns" except to say that it's a groaner of a pun.By the end, you find you've met a wide variety of critters in a surprising variety of ways.

To my mind, Mr. Florian is at his best when he goes for something with a little atmosphere to it.My favorite poem out of the bunch is, without question, "The Owl".On the left-hand page are sixteen yellow pairs of eyes huddled on the floor of a deep dark forest.Above them, glowing far larger are almost hypnotic peepers of a creature who proclaims, "I am the eyes / And ears of night / The say I'm wise - / I say they're right".You'll find yourself in shivers just staring at the inky blue/blackness of the picture for minutes on end.You'll also find yourself returning to it.

Will kids like this book?Doggone it if I know.I think that Mr. Florian's books work particularly well as writing exercises in schools and classrooms.The teacher reads a bunch of his poems aloud (turning and twisting the books as necessary) then encourages the kids to write their own wild kingdom prose and pictures in his style.Children do not, by and large, seek out poetry on their own unless they are looking for something silly.Nevertheless, I suspect that in many households this book will be much beloved (and certain poems favored over others) for years and years to come.A lovely offering and some unique takes.

.... and.... we're done.

A tempting menagerie
In one of his most artful surprises yet, Douglas Florian has created another delightful, spine-tingling gaggle of animals, the usual tongue-twisting, alliterative troupe: the manta ray, the penguin, the bush baby, the bats, the slugs, the terns, the wallaby and, my favorite, the sloth:

"Up a tree you slowly creep,
The twenty hours straight you sleep."

The artwork in this latest collection is superior, art-iculate and gaily colored, sure to inspire young minds with fanciful thoughts, even singing the praises of the slug:

"Slugs are ugly.
Slugs are lowly.
Slugs climb mountains
Very slowly."

These simple poems alongside such quirky critters that leap from Florian's mind offer a world of adventure, a humorous peak into the lives of creatures great and small. With consummate skill, Florian has combined whimsy with some remarkable artwork, a book sure to be beloved of children and adults alike. If you're like me, you know a few "grownups" who will appreciate the wonderful illustrations in zoo's who. Who says we have to grow up anyway?

"I wANTed to write
A poem on an ANT.
I'm frANTic-
I cANT."

Luan Gaines/2005.

Another fun read/look
Again, my son and I both got a kick out of the poems on a menagerie of beasts -- funny and clever wordplay and a cool assortment of animals, too. The poem The Ant was a big fave for us both, making my son start looking for the word "ant" in EVERYTHING. And,if the poems and pictures weren't enough, at the back of the book, there's a little paragraph about how the illustrations were made. We then had to go back through every picture to find various items that are part of the collages (and we still haven't found any candy wrappers). A lot of fun for us.... ... Read more