Review by Booklist Review
The bold digital collages of zoo animals in this debut picture book are clear and bright, and the simple rhymes about feelings will have preschoolers savoring the words, joining in, and pointing at every playful zoo scene, each featuring one animal per page. Even toddlers will enjoy talking about the scenarios, especially after they see the final spread with the small zookeeper asleep in his bed, his beloved animal toys snuggled around him. Kids will easily recognize the emotions in the words Snappy as a crab, / angry as a bear, / bothered as a bull / with a hornet in its hair as well as the more positive feelings Brave as a lion, / thoughtful as an owl, / peaceful as a portly walrus / lounging on a towel. A final note points out that all the collage pictures are made up of heart-shaped pieces, more than 300 in all, and older kids might want to count them.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In his first book, Hall, a graphic designer, takes the idea of love being a many-splendored thing and runs with it straight to the animal kingdom. Using a heart shape as his core visual element, he creates a 20-member menagerie to illustrate the various facets of his affection: "My heart is like a zoo-/ eager as a beaver,/ steady as a yak,/ hopeful as a hungry heron fishing for a snack." Not every poetic conceit works-there's a jarring quality to having one's heart described as "crafty as a fox" or "snappy as a crab"-and more sophisticated eyes may feel Hall could have used more variation in crafting his animals (the heart shape is used mostly as a head and some form of appendage). But children just learning about shapes will revel in these pages, thanks to Hall's masterful blending of bright, saturated colors, his posterlike compositions, and the sheer animal magnetism of the species he's chosen. Teachers will also find fodder for classroom activities when February rolls around. Up to age 5. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-This playful, rhyming concept book invites young readers to explore colors, shapes, emotions, and zoo animals. The crisp, succinct text is carefully crafted to tell a little about each animal; "Cool as a penguin/crafty as a fox,/quiet as a caterpillar/wearing knitted socks." The story skillfully wraps up with a young zookeeper fast asleep, surrounded by his stuffed-animal menagerie, which creates a fun identification challenge at the end. This book is perfect for younger audiences with short attention spans. The bold illustrations were digitally created and feature primary and secondary colors. More than 300 heart shapes form all of the animals featured, providing a simple, clean collage image on each page contrasted with a bright background. Spreads show hippos drinking apple juice, a bothered bull with a hornet in its hair, and a coyote walking in the fog. Readers will not only be engaged in the search for the hearts in each illustration, but will also relate to the feelings that are introduced. This title will have a wide audience, whether in a classroom, library, or at home. An outstanding choice for one-on-one sharing.-Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
My heart is like a zoo-- / eager as a beaver, / steady as a yak, / hopeful as a hungry heron fishing for a snack..." In this charming ode to the heart, Hall presents a series of crisp, silliness-spiked rhymes paired with digitally rendered illustrations that employ heart shapes to create the twenty featured animals. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Animals, adjectives and heartslots of heartscombine in this bright, appealing selection, reminiscent of the works of Lois Ehlert. Digital art presents each animal in geometric form; comprised of colorful overlapping shapes, each simplified illustration includes a heart (or two or many). The text bounces along, introducing the animals and describing each with a suitable adjective. "My heart is like a zoo," it begins, "eager as a beaver, / steady as a yak," concluding with "tired as a zookeeper who's had a busy day" (the final illustration depicts a child cuddled up with a plethora of stuffed animals). Animals range from an owl and a lion to a clam and a moose. Between the zoology and the vocabulary, it's good for the classroom and a comforting goodnight book to boot. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
