Animals - General & Miscellaneous, Poetry - Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes & Fingerplays, Poetry - Basic Concepts & Education, Alphabet, Poetry - Animals, Poetry - General & Miscellaneous

There's a Zoo in Room 22

Name: There's a Zoo in Room 22
Author: Judy Sierra
ISBN: 9780152050207

by Judy Sierra, Barney Saltzberg

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Overview

The kids in Miss Darling's class are very lucky—what other classroom has its own alphabet zoo?

From the author of the bestselling Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems comes another collection of delightfully playful verse. Every kid will want to join this class!

Each of twenty-six poems describes the antics and habits of a zany classroom pet whose name begins with a different letter of the alphabet.

Synopsis

Miss Darling's class has twenty-six pets--one for every letter of the alphabet.

The kids in Miss Darling's class are very lucky--what other classroom has its own alphabet zoo? There's always an animal adventure unfolding in Room 22, with an Anaconda for lounging, a lunch-stealing Lemur, a Moose to hang coats, a Yak that kisses, and a Zorilla with fumes (pee-ewwww!).

From the author of the bestselling Antarctic Antics and Counting Crocodiles comes another collection of delightfully playful poems. Every kid will want to join this class!

About the Authors:

Judy Sierra is the author of numerous picture books, including the best-selling Antarctic Antics which was praised by Daniel Pinkwater on National Public Radio. A puppeteer and storyteller, Ms. Sierra lives with her husband in the Bay Area of Northern California.

Barney Saltzberg has written and illustrated numerous children's books. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Parent Council Reviews

Thinking of a new pet for the classroom? This delightful alphabet book features zany illustrations of what can happen with twenty-six different animals. If you get a snake, he may eat all the cake, but a moose makes a good coat rack. Some of the poems rhyme, some are a bit awkward, but all are sure to delight children. A good source for animals, poems, and the alphabet. Enjoyable! 2000, Harcourt Brace & Company, $16.00. Ages 3 mo. to 8. Reviewer: D. Cannon SOURCE: Parent Council Volume 8

About the Author, Judy Sierra

BARNEY SALTZBERG is the author-illustrator of the successful Kisses series, Peekaboo, Blueberry!, Hi, Blueberry!, and Good Egg (Workman), as well as various picture books. He also writes and performs music for children.

www.barneysaltzberg.com

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Editorials

From the Publisher

"[A] collection of quirky, entertaining verses . . . [and] some very funny concepts."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Sure to entice listeners to create a zoo (real or imagined) of their own and perhaps to compose original poems as well."—School Library Journal

Children's Literature

This delightful alphabet book features amusing illustrations and twentysix charming poems that describe what happens when a group of young students and their teacher explore different ideas for a classroom pet. From Amanda Anaconda and Boring Beetle Bill to Yorick the Yak and a stinky zorilla, each animal has its own special qualities and influences the class in different ways. It's fascinating to see how the presence of various animals can affect the classroom dynamic and offer all kinds of interesting challenges. The author's engaging poems vary in length and rhyme scheme, and the illustrator's colorful drawings will definitely capture the reader's attention. Since the topic of classroom pets is so popular among today's preschoolers and primaryaged children, this book will be a hit with this age level. In addition to being a fun alphabet book, this resource also provides an excellent introduction to animals of all shapes, sizes and colors. 2000, Gulliver/Harcourt, Ages 3 to 7, $16.00. Reviewer: Debra Briatico

From The Critics

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Classroom pets? Room 22 has an abundance of them-one for every letter of the alphabet, from cat to quahog, from anaconda to katydid. Each 4-to-12 line poem portrays some of the common behaviors and personality characteristics inherent to each creature. There's a lunch-stealing lemur, a bad-smelling warthog, and a parrot that gets sent to the principal's office. Saltzberg's colored-pencil and watercolor cartoons meld well with the humorous tone of the text. Each one-to-two page spread is filled with energy, showing the featured animal and the multiethnic students that populate Miss Darling's classroom. Most of the poems are in rhymed couplets, but a few tamper with the meter. Occasional word choices, e.g., "moose"/"boots," "muscle"/"octopuzzle" are a bit of a stretch. Overall, though, this engaging collection is sure to entice listeners to create a zoo (real or imagined) of their own and perhaps to compose original poems as well. A good choice for animal units, plus useful for early readers still working on their alphabet skills.-Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Meet an alphabet of classroom pets in Sierra's (The Dancing Pig, 1999, etc.) collection of quirky, entertaining verses. There's a moose who doubles as a coat rack, Claude the feline acrobat, and Polly the Parrot, who is sent to the principal for inappropriate language. A class of unflappable children and teachers eagerly adopts each animal. Saltzberg's cartoon-like illustrations, done in pencil, watercolor, and color pencil, nicely complement the action. The animals and children interact in a variety of settings that include a science fair and several field trips. However, the illustrations do not convey personalities. Facial features vary only slightly and expressions of emotion do not vary at all. In each illustration all characters display the same bland smiles, frowns, or looks of mild surprise. Several of Sierra's verses suffer from uneven meters that interfere with the flow of the poems, and such tortured rhymes as "carpenter/sharpener" and "not/caught." There is much to like about this book, some very funny concepts, in fact, but there are other collections of animal poetry that are ultimately more satisfying. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)