Going to the Zoo: A Classic Song Comes to Life [Library Binding]

Tom Paxton (Author), Karen Lee Schmidt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996 | Age Level: 4 and up

An exciting, rollicking rhyming story of a day at the zoo furnishes fun-filled descriptions of all the most popular animals, accompanied by boisterous, bright illustrations, and includes an easily played melody for the piano or the guitar.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Schmidt's sprightly watercolor and gouache illustrations lend a jaunty air to one of folksinger Paxton's best-known songs. Whimsical foreshadowing on the opening page quickly sets the stage for fun: readers see a family celebrating their coming trip while a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed menagerie peeks over the scene's border. With each turn of the page, the furred and feathered spies get their turn in the limelight ("See all the monkeys scritch, scritch, scratchin' "; "Big black bear is a-huff, huff, a-puffin' "). The toe-tapping text is knit together visually with depictions of the knobby-kneed zookeeper, resplendent in her uniform and cleats, seen tending to her prankish charges on every spread. Awash with sunny charm, the book could inspire an audience to break out in song; happily, the endpapers contain the musical score. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreS?Paxton and Schmidt have transformed the children's song "We're Going to the Zoo" into an appealing picture book that is perfect for story hour as well as for one-on-one sharing. The cadence of the song lends itself well to reading aloud, and music is included. The illustrations, done in watercolor and gouache in bright pastel colors, depict cheerful, friendly animals and people across double-page spreads that are large enough for a group to enjoy. The zoo is a popular destination for family and class trips, and this is a good book to read before or after such an outing. There's not much of a story here, but a good time is had by all.?Sue Norris, Rye Free Reading Room, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 1 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688138012
• ISBN-13: 978-0688138011
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,071,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOING TO THE ZOO, November 29, 1999

By 

Rachael (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Going to the Zoo: A Classic Song Comes to Life (Library Binding)

This is a wonderful book! Full of bright colors,silly pictures, and catchy rhythms. This is my 2 year old's favorite book. We have to read it at least 3 times a day. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read to their children. See you at the "Zoo, zoo, zoo".

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll be singing it all day!, November 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Going to the Zoo (Hardcover)

I work at a daycare and we have 15 kids between 18 months and 3 years. This is by far their favorite book! The song is extremely catchy and the pictures that go along with it are fun and simple enough the even the littles ones can recognize the animals. Since they know all the words they don't mind missing some of the song to roar at the pictures of the bear and lion, or scritch, scritch, scratch like the monkeys! Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it again, Mommy, please?, September 9, 2004

By 

C. A. Leu (Williamsburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Going to the Zoo (Hardcover)

Our two year old cried when we had to return this to a library. Such passion is normally limited to books about big machines... What a find! A great song with detailed, happy illustrations and plenty of opportunities for sound effects to keep our little guy fascinated. "Again, again! Read it again, Mommy!"