What's It Like to Be a Zoo Worker?

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-- These books fail to inspire because of their undistinguished illustrative styles and inconsistent text formats. The numerous drawings are two-dimensional and staff. On every page, lines are drawn from sundry objects to their word identifications. Most objects are portrayed with little or no detail, and no glossary exists to define each new, specialized vocabulary word. In Fisherman , the work day of two brothers is described using a combined conversational and story format. A chatty dialogue between a ranger and a young boy in Forest Ranger sets the tempo for a brief discourse eliciting responses such as ``Wow!'' and ``You bet!'' The subject matter is most effectively presented in Zoo Worker , where straightforward narration describes the facets of the occupation in a pleasant, informative manner. However, the colored pencil drawings approach blurriness. This is meager competition for the ``I Can Be a. . .'' series (Childrens) in which large, color photographs and text depict actual people in real-life situations. Its glossary encourages familiarity with the words of the trade. Troll's realistic, informative series ``Day in the Life of a. . . ,'' written for middle readers, should certainly be considered for a read-aloud session. --Ellen Dibner, East School, Long Beach, N.Y.