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Animal Strike at the Zoo: It's True! by Karma Wilson β€” book cover

Animal Strike at the Zoo: It's True!

by Karma Wilson, Margaret Spengler
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Overview

There's an animal strike at the zoo!

oh no, oh my!

What's a zookeeper to do when the lions and tigers and bears refuse to roar and prowl and growl? And when little Sue, who has been waiting all year for this trip to the zoo, enters the gate, will the animals decide to give their strike a break?

Karma Wilson's fun, playful text paired with Margaret Spengler's bright and lively pastels create an unforgettable, irresistible zoo of chaos and fun!

Synopsis

There's an animal strike at the zoo!

oh no, oh my!

What's a zookeeper to do when the lions and tigers and bears refuse to roar and prowl and growl? And when little Sue, who has been waiting all year for this trip to the zoo, enters the gate, will the animals decide to give their strike a break?

Karma Wilson's fun, playful text paired with Margaret Spengler's bright and lively pastels create an unforgettable, irresistible zoo of chaos and fun!

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz - Children's Literature

Yes, it's true! The zoo animals declare they have had enough. Jolly rhymes describe how the elephants, monkeys, leopards, etc., refuse to act, while the zebras are painting over their stripes and the giraffes are knitting turtlenecks to cover their necks. Since nobody wants to go to the zoo just to see the animals in bed, the zookeeper tries to give the elephants a raise, from peanuts to pecans, and the monkeys a kiddy pool; but they are still not happy. Then, sweet little Sue arrives, having begged for a year to come to the zoo. When she sees no action, she begins to cry. Watching her, the animals go "totally wild." Sue is really happy, while the animals realize that they really like what they usually do. The delighted zookeeper reports the end of the strike. Meanwhile, at the circus... This lighthearted verse is illustrated across double pages with pastels, which help to emphasize the decorative qualities of the animals. It is hard not to smile at the antics; just look at those knitting giraffes. The animals resemble stuffed toys with human expressions; everyone finally has fun. 2006, HarperCollins Publishers, and Ages 4 to 8.

About the Author, Karma Wilson

Karma Wilson is the bestselling author of Bear Snores On and Bear Wants More, both illustrated by Jane Chapman, as well as Mama Always Comes Home, illustrated by Brooke Dyer. She lives with her family in northern Idaho.

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Editorials

Children's Literature

Yes, it's true! The zoo animals declare they have had enough. Jolly rhymes describe how the elephants, monkeys, leopards, etc., refuse to act, while the zebras are painting over their stripes and the giraffes are knitting turtlenecks to cover their necks. Since nobody wants to go to the zoo just to see the animals in bed, the zookeeper tries to give the elephants a raise, from peanuts to pecans, and the monkeys a kiddy pool; but they are still not happy. Then, sweet little Sue arrives, having begged for a year to come to the zoo. When she sees no action, she begins to cry. Watching her, the animals go "totally wild." Sue is really happy, while the animals realize that they really like what they usually do. The delighted zookeeper reports the end of the strike. Meanwhile, at the circus... This lighthearted verse is illustrated across double pages with pastels, which help to emphasize the decorative qualities of the animals. It is hard not to smile at the antics; just look at those knitting giraffes. The animals resemble stuffed toys with human expressions; everyone finally has fun. 2006, HarperCollins Publishers, and Ages 4 to 8.
β€”Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-A rhyming, rhythmic, and lyrical charmer about zoo animals going on strike. It all starts when the elephants complain, "We're paid only peanuts!" All of the animals follow suit, reminiscent of Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (S & S, 2000). The monkeys demand, "We want a nice pool in our pen!," the zebras demand root-beer floats, and the giraffes are wearing turtleneck sweaters "from their heads to the floor..." as camouflage. All is chaos as the zookeeper must pacify the animals, and there appears to be no end in sight until a first-time visitor burst into tears. It is only then, in a loud hush, that it becomes apparent to the residents just how important their job really is. The pages are bursting with color, whimsical expressions abound, and loads of laughter will be shared by all.-Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Sunny scenes featuring dot-eyed, shiny-surfaced zoo animals give this otherwise ill-conceived outing visual polish, at least. In a plot that will warm the cockles of anti-unionist hearts, the animals declare a strike-" 'We're paid only peanuts!' the elephants shout. / 'And goodness, we're bigger than that.' / So now they won't trumpet or lumber about. / They sit in the shade, looking fat." A weeping child shames them into going back to work, whereupon they realize that "they actually like what they do." Intentionally or not, an even clearer message emerges as the zookeeper, supposedly "doing the best that he can," offers the elephants pecans and a shorter work day, but those ungrateful monkeys complain that the water in their small new kiddy pool is cold, and the zebras stubbornly reject the proffered oats, demanding the right to choose their own feed. Young readers will not only stumble over the text's markedly irregular metrics, they are also likely to wonder how animals on strike are different from those on the job, as standing or sitting idly about is what real zoo residents usually do anyway. (Picture book. 7-9)

Book Details

Published
May 1, 2006
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Pages
32
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780060575021

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