We love going to the Melbourne zoo! It makes a great outing for Rowan, gives me a much-needed walk, and we often meet up with friends there. And despite best intentions, we usually end up doing the same route every time; the elephants, butterflies and orangutans circuit is just too good to miss… Our books about zoo animals go down really well before or in between visits to the zoo. And as Rowan is mastering a growing vocabulary of first words, animals noises are also a big favourite at the moment.
Here are our Top 5 books about the zoo.
1. Dear Zoo (Rod Campbell)
What would happen if you wrote a letter to the zoo and asked them for a pet? Now celebrating 25 years (I remember reading this one to my 27 year old sister!!), this is a classic zoo book, with bright, bold pictures, predictable text and those ever-so-alluring lift-up flaps! Ideal for babies and toddlers. Age 0+
2. Bruno Munari’s Zoo (Bruno Munari)
From my favourite publisher, Chronicle Books, comes this classic. Bruno Munari was a contemporary of Leo Leonni (another of my all-time favourites) and his illustrations have the same beautiful retro quality. This and the distinctive humour communicated through the text and illustrations make it one to be enjoyed by toddlers and appreciated by adults and collectors. (As mentioned in a previous post, I bought my beautiful hardback copy at Mockingbird Books.) Age 2+
3. Good Night, Gorilla (Peggy Rathmann) 
Rowan and I have been reading this one since he was a newborn. With minimal text, the story gets read slightly differently each time. It tells the delightful tale of a zookeeper saying goodnight to the animals in the zoo. Little does he know that he is being followed by the gorilla who has a hold of his keys. This one really gets your imagination working about the keepers who are behind the scenes at the zoo, and what the animals get up to after hours… With the bedtime theme, this is a great one for reading just before a sleep. Age 0+
4. Queenie: One Elephant’s Story (Corinne Fenton)
This book tells the true story of Queenie, an elephant who lived at the Melbourne Zoo for more than 40 years. At a time when elephant rides were an accepted part of a visit to the zoo, Queenie was a famous animal, and she received hundreds of letters from her fans. In describing her life, the book touches on events of the first half of the 20th century, from the long journey travelling by boat from India to Australia, to Melbourne’s Centenary Celebrations and sad repercussions of the Second World War for zoo animals. The illustrations compliment this theme by having a historical feel. It would make a great start to various discussion points with older kids. Age 3+
5. Zoo! (Lori Froeb)
As reviewed in Lou’s previous post, this is a magnificent fold-out counting book. I’ve witnessed Ned captivated by this one, and the lovely bright illustrations and larger than life fold-outs are fantastic. This would make a great present for a baby or a toddler. Age 0+
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