What's New? The Zoo!: A Zippy History of Zoos

Gr 2–5—A whirlwind, episodic tour of zoos around the world through the ages. Krull takes readers back 4000 years to zoos in Sumeria and ancient China, India, Greece, and Ethiopia, as well as to the menageries of Kublai Khan, Charlemagne, Pope Leo, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II straight through to modern times. She briefly describes each zoo or collection in a brief paragraph stuffed with fascinating facts that intrigue while they inform. The book ends with modern-day zoos and efforts to save species and reintroduce some of them back into their natural habitats. The author describes the many reasons for building zoos—to study and classify the animal kingdom, connect humans with nature, and awe visitors—in a lighthearted way. The full-color ink and watercolor illustrations are rendered in a sketchy, elastic, cartoon style and feature a wonderful multicultural cast and playful moments for sharp-eyed readers to spot. This thoroughly researched title cites sources that include books and websites, making it ideal for browsing purposes or for school reports.—Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI