How to Move a Zoo

November 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 3 In 1916, Mr. Miller, a zookeeper, walks quietly through the streets of Sydney, Australia, to the old zoo, where Jessie, an elephant, is the only animal left. Most were put in cages, loaded onto trucks, and taken to the new zoo. A few walked there alongside their keepers. Jessie and her keeper walk to the harbor, where they step onto the ferry. Feeling the boat move is unsettling for Jessie, but Mr. Miller comforts her. Across the water, the pontoon landing stage dips when she steps on it, but with Mr. Miller by her side, she walks across it to the zoo, where other animals greet her and Mr. Miller says, "Welcome home!" This simple story from the past speaks to the deep-seated emotional connection that many children feel for animals. The narrative and the illustrations, softly shaded pencil drawings with digitally added colors, are both straightforward and endearing. Even the endpapers, which feature rows of powder-blue silhouettes of early-twentieth-century trucks carrying caged animals against cream-colored backgrounds will intrigue many children. A pleasing picture book.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 15, 2024
Jessie the elephant takes an unusual trip to her brand-new home. In the early 20th century, the zoo at Moore Park in Sydney, Australia, moved to the suburb of Taronga. Most of the animals were transported by truck, but Jessie was far too large for any vehicle, so she simply walked through the town in the early morning before most people had awakened, then boarded a ferry. This picture book chronicles Jessie's travels. She surprises the milkman's horse, alarms an onlooker, and ambles over grass, always walking calmly with her keeper, Mr. Miller, even as others react in shock. After she makes it across in the ferry, she arrives at her new home, greeted by lions and monkeys. The author's note sheds light on the true story of the animals' move, explaining that the fastest route was via ferry, since the Sydney Harbour Bridge hadn't yet been built. Much like Jessie's journey, the story is a quiet one, though the illustrations give it life. The most stunning images depict Jessie's early-morning start, the pale pinks in the sky set against an otherwise blue-washed layout; Jessie's face and eyes are rendered with careful detail. Readers will appreciate the beautiful art and the novelty of an elephant's walk through town. Incredible artwork lifts a simple story. (map, photos)(Informational picture book. 4-7)

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