The zoo is closed today! Until further notice

K-Gr 2-Following in the footsteps of many other successful "something's wrong at the zoo" stories, this rhyming version comically describes the ailments of the animals that Sue and John find when they walk to "Kalama Zoo." Their friend Pete the zookeeper explains that the zoo is closed because Edward the elephant has a cold in his nose, Freddy the fox has a sunburn, Marcel the monkey's tail is in a sling, and Carlos the camel has hives on his humps. The kids return home disappointed and concerned but are gleeful to receive a letter the very next day telling them that the animals are feeling better. When the two come down with the sniffles themselves, the animals make a get-well road trip to their house. Kennedy's colorful cartoons perfectly complement Beilenson's easy read-aloud verse. Pair it with E. S. Redmond's Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo (Candlewick, 2009) and Philip C. Stead's A Sick Day for Amos McGee (Roaring Brook, 2010) for an ailing animal storytime or book display.- Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Stopped at the closed zoo gates, John and Sue hear from zookeeper Pete about the various aches and pains afflicting the animals. When the children wake the next day with illnesses of their own, the recovered critters pay a visit. Steady if uninspired rhymes describe the elephant's cold, the hippo's tummy ache, etc. while sunny, full-spread illustrations anthropomorphize the ailing animals. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.