Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo (Hardcover)

by Karma Wilson (Author), Douglas Cushman (Illustrator) "Never, EVER shout in a zoo . . . because if you do . . . anything might happen..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1-In this engaging read-aloud, a little girl stumbles, drops her ice-cream cone, and gives a frustrated cry, despite the narrator's warning to "Never, EVER shout in a zoo-/because if you do-/anything might happen." Before long, the hapless heroine is being pursued by a scary bear, a moose on the loose, escaped apes, and an ever-growing menagerie of other animals. Released from tanks and cages, the creatures exact their revenge and gleefully surround the child, locking her (and some other humans) in a pen. The last page shows the girl, who is now standing next to an exhibit of a frozen dinosaur, stifling another shout. Observers are drawn into events on the first page, where the watercolor-and-pencil illustrations simply but effectively introduce the locale and then quickly propel the action forward. Presented against broad white backgrounds, the expressive animals project a benign ferocity tempered by baffled amusement. The bouncy text makes use of alliteration, repetition, and rhyming phrases as the narrator speaks directly to the bumptious child ("Uh-oh! Don't say I didn't warn you"). This lighthearted romp disguises a slightly scary concept, as captive creatures successfully break their bonds in an otherwise familiar and "safe" setting, but the mischievous tone and predictable developments mitigate the fear factor. Pair this with Shirley Neitzel's Our Class Took a Trip to the Zoo (Greenwillow, 2002) for a silly armchair adventure.
Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
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Product Description
f you shout in the zoo, anything might happen. You might scare a bear, and the apes, and the hippos, and the lions...and then they might break loose and chase after you! In this uproarious cause-and-effect story, one innocent, little shout from a young girl creates chaos among the zoo animals. Lively, detailed illustrations bring the friendly stampede of animals to life and will have readers laughing out loud!

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (April 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316985643
• ISBN-13: 978-0316985642
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,432 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book! Great linguistic imagery!, June 17, 2008

By	Mom_2_4_boyz "kathy" (Mesa, AZ) - See all my reviews

This book captures the imagination of a child... I can't tell you how many conversations I have had with my own children that remind me of the narrator in this book. The author applies descriptive wording to paint a vivid image of what might happen. The words like "mischievous, dreadful, grouchy, etc" enlighten a child's vocabulary. Of course I don't want my children acting "malicious" but I do want them to know what it means when they hear or read it. It is a great way to introduce new words and talk about positive behavior. My 6 year old son loves the pictures and re-examines them each time we read this. There is a wonderful energy about this book. I can imagine reading this book to a classroom of kindergarteners with wide eyes. It is perfect for that setting! Love it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I WARNED You! You can't say I didn't!, September 16, 2007

By	M. Powell "Stampprincess" (Salt Lake Utah) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is my son's (18 months) FAVORITE book and has been for some time. And we read A LOT of books!! He constantly brings it to me to read and as soon as he hears the first sentence, his whole face lights up. My daughter (age 3 going on 16) loves it as well and she is VERY curious to know what all the big words mean? (which I for one like!) They both love the repetition and beautiful artwork. They especially love the phrase "Don't say I didn't warn you," which is repeated quite often. This is a home run for Karma Wilson! Her best yet in my opinion!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny picturebook story , December 7, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Doug Cushman illustrates Never, Ever Shout In A Zoo, a funny picturebook story by Karma Wilson of one little girl's shout in a zoo, and the snowball effect it has upon zoo residents. Chaos evolves as frightened animals discover their freedom and the shouter finds herself running from a myriad of hilarious residents.