Z Is For Zookeeper: A Zoo Alphabet (Alphabet Books) [Hardcover]

Roland Smith (Author), Marie Smith (Author), Henry Cole (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Alphabet Books

Since monkeys and elephants and crocodiles don't make good tour guides who better to walk us through the inner workings of a zoo than the zookeeper? Roland Smith, award winning writer and 20-year zookeeper, introduces young readers to little known facts-sometimes in the middle of the night zookeepers do go back to check the locks, giraffes don't know how to duck making it difficult to drive under a bridge when zookeepers transport them from one location to another, and exactly how much time do zookeepers spend with the pooper-scooper? Z is for Zookeeper gives children a front row seat at the zoo-one of the ultimate childhood places.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4–Yet another addition to the spectrum of alphabet books available for young readers. This book, like the others in the series, offers quick-read rhymes based around the theme for each letter of the alphabet. For example, Q is for Quarantine./When animals are new,/here they are kept/before entering the zoo. More detailed information and interesting facts appear in the margins for advanced readers or keener zoo enthusiasts. Colored-pencil-and-watercolor artwork dominates each spread, but the text is not dwarfed by it. Readers will find the simple pictures as interesting as the text. In addition to the many animal species, they will find ample human representation and descriptions of the important work that these individuals do in caring for their charges.–Corrina Austin, Locke's Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
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About the Author

Marie and Roland Smith have collaborated on several alphabet titles, including B is for Beaver: An Oregon Alphabet and Z is for Zookeeper: A Zoo Alphabet. They live on a small farm south of Portland. The author of many books for children, Roland has also penned Sleeping Bear Press's middle-grade series, I, Q.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press; 1 edition (October 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585361585
• ISBN-13: 978-1585361588
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 11.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #789,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointing offering, July 16, 2005

By 

An avid reader (WY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Z Is For Zookeeper: A Zoo Alphabet (Alphabet Books) (Hardcover)

I had high expectations for this disappointing book. Some of the rhymes are clumsy: ""Don't lose your keys," all zookeepers say. Changing locks is expensive. Key starts with the letter K." Others are just foolish: ""X are those things animals leave everywhere. Zookeepers pick them up with the greatest of care." While the expository text for more advanced readers is interesting, the text for the younger students leaves a lot be be desired.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative and accurate, November 9, 2008

By 

Beebee (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Z Is for Zookeeper: A Zoo Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Alphabets) (Paperback)

Some of the rhymes may be clumsy, but speaking as an animal (zoo) keeper, this book is a real look for kids at what animal keepers really do. The illustrations are beautiful, and the information is incredibly accurate for the small ones. That's a big pet peeve for me... when books seem to consider kids too young to worry about the accuracy of scientific or animal related information.

That being said, it's also geared perfectly to kids' interests without losing a spark for adults. The animal keepers I know gathered around this book with delight when it was given at a baby shower. And believe me, we are TOUGH critics on animal books.