A visit to the zoo can be full of so many fun adventures and learning opportunities. Kids can not only learn about the animals, but also the importance of protecting these animals and their habitats. This list of children’s books about the zoo embrace the wonder and joy of a day spent with the animals. You can also explore zoo animal pictures through real life example zoo books. 20 Zoo Books for Kids Curious George Visits the Zoo is a wonderful read for fans of our favorite monkey. George seems to be causing trouble yet again but the Zookeeper soon realizes that he’s only trying to be helpful as he meets some of his animal friends. Kids who love mysteries will really enjoy The Secret Zoo. Noah & Megan live next door to the zoo and are noticing the animals’ strange behaviors — then one day, Megan disappears! It’s up to her brother and friends to solve the clues that lead them into the zoo at night to see if they can find her.

This very clever twist on “who’s watching who” will leaving kids laughing and wondering if they are the ones on display. Fun for kids ages 3 – 8 years. For the older set (kids who are reading chapter books), we’ve also got a few suggestions for great zoo mysteries! These 20+ amazing photos show the details of many zoo animals from their eyelashes to tongues, along with posing some very interesting details about many zoo residents. Great for kids ages 3+ (really, this is a cool book even for adults!) I grew up with this vintage picture book but it seems to be virtually unknown these days. Margaret Bloy Graham is probably better known for her beloved Harry the Dirty Dog series. Billy’s pet spider Martha is left at the zoo and suddenly all the animals are happy because she’s taken care of their insect problem.First, it’s a large (over-sized) book which allows the illustrations to be examined more carefully. Second, it allows kids to explore animals from around the world as they are shared in different ways, such as ‘at night’ and ‘underground’. Adults and older kids will enjoy all the fun animal facts shared in the appendix. Wonderful for kids ages 3 – 9 years. Two of my kids’ teachers told me that this was an amazing book last year so I bought it but hesitated because I was afraid it would be one of those sad, urban zoo stories. I was so wrong to wait to read this Newbery winning chapter book! I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet..." (That's a direct quote from the book) and then I'd pull out a different puppet from the box and bring it to life for a few seconds. It was fun to have the parents and talking kids chant the line over and over with me. And it was even more fun to see the children's excitement when a "live" animal came out of the box. Priceless.

My son loved, loved, loved this series. I didn’t realize that it was a three-book set, but I finally found the last one in a used book sale at our elementary school.Read Do You Know Hank the Hippo, and let your preschoolers act out the story with an adorable crocheted hippo toy. It's comment on people may seem too harsh, and on animals it is also too harsh and humanizing, critical and unjust, and though I resist it - I also ask, is it really as extreme as it's first impression?

Follow the zoo-keeper and gorilla through the zoo as they put the animals to bed. An adorable book that’s a must read for kids ages 1 – 3 years! Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle pair up again with this endangered animal version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? I think it’s never too early for kids to learn about our fragile planet; it will be they, after all, who will have to save it! [picture book, ages 1 and up] The voices of each animal, as written by Katherine Applegate, manage to convey not just their story of how they came to this urban sad zoo, but their personalities as if we could see into their souls. But my daughter really loves this book. And my husband told me to lighten up, get off my high horse and "it's only a kids' book. Don't worry about it." So maybe the lift up flaps are great. And how lovely it would be to have a zoo keep sending you animals on demand. Yeah, ok, it's a fab book. Dear Zoo has a good mixture of words and pictures, with uncomplicated, simple sentences, which are perfect for teaching our little ones to read. The language is easily understandable for a child, with descriptive words that may form part of their vocabulary already. The story involves a young child writing to the zoo because they want a pet, which adds a bit of magic to the book, and will capture their imaginations long after the book is put down. Why we like Dear Zoo

Multibuys

These zoo books for kids — zoo picture book and chapter books — is inspired by the Newbery award winner, The One and Only Ivan. Is there a favorite zoo children’s book you’d like to add to the list? Please help me out and I’ll add it to the list. Thank you! Good Night Zoo (Good Night Our World) was written by Adam Gamble and illustrated by Cooper Kelly. This entry in the Good Night Our World series takes readers on a stroll around the zoo, greeting all the animals they encounter. The story starts by saying good morning, and eventually winds down to a peaceful good night. This is a great one for settling little ones in at bedtime. But when she is forced into hiding for a thorough zoo cleaning, everyone realizes how important spiders are to the zoo ecosystem. I love this message because my kids are afraid of spiders and this picture book helps us to appreciate them. [picture book, ages 2 and up] What kind of pet would you like from the zoo? An elephant, a lion, a snake – or something a bit smaller, and cuddlier and playful? Lift the flaps and see what has been sent – it’s bound to be a surprise! Readers will get to see what happens from early morning until the zoo closes and the animals go to sleep. It’s a fun way to learn about some of the behind-the-scenes activities that take place at a zoo. Recommended for ages 3 – 8 years.

And I have to mention the toys each zoo animal has in their cage … be sure to find those as well! [picture book, ages 1 and up] My Visit to the Zoo was written and illustrated by Aliki. This book follows two young kids as they visit the zoo and learn about all kinds of animals. The descriptive text shares lots of fun information about the animals, and additional facts are hidden throughout the book as well. The illustrations are lush and realistic, showing lots of details about the beautiful animals. I would actually argue that this is one of the most dystopian picturebooks I have ever read and it's unsettling. My Heart Is Like a Zoo Board Book was written and illustrated by Michael Hall. This adorable book features a sweet rhyming text and creative illustrations to introduce kids to various animals, while also discussing the many emotions a heart can feel. Each animal is creatively constructed from various heart shapes. The kids fought, more interested in lunch and souvenirs than the animals, found their daddy embarrassing, and didn't bother to laugh at the daddy's attempted jokes. The family's dynamic feels troubling, but so blatantly true at the same time. The ending makes us pause and think about the relationship between animals and human beings, and the ethical questions surrounding a zoo environment.A boy goes to the Zoo with his Mum, Dad and brother, where they see a variety of animals and enjoy the delights of the zoo. Poor old mum has to endure Dad’s bad jokes and her two cheeky monkeys messing about, but they all have a good day in the end. I doubt 22-month old little-AJ is thinking much about any of the above issues, but he thoroughly enjoys this book and has requested this to be read and re-read many times. The book ends with the main character ‘Me’ saying, ��That night I had a strange dream. Do you think animals have dreams?’ This is a great question to start a discussion with the class and also it could be used in Literacy with the words being omitted from the story and the Children using the illustrations as inspiration for their own text for the story.