Review by Booklist Review
Zookeeper Peek is thrilled at the arrival of Lulu, a new baby panda, and he dreams of a celebratory animal parade. He is not one for details, however, and, despite scrupulous list-making, his absentminded attention to the animals produces bedlam: penguins escape, polar bears overheat, and tortoises take on a peculiar color. Fortunately, his young assistant, Jimmy, is there at every turn, righting wrongs and saving the day. Waldron's digital illustrations combine flat patches of vivid color, painterly textures, and samples of (intentionally pixilated) photographs, arranged in dynamic composition, all with a decidedly Beatles-era British aesthetic. Each of Peek's obvious missteps is depicted, and children will enjoy searching the illustrations for more visual jokes. A final gatefold exhibits the eventual parade, complete with a hilarious promise for one last hiccup. This one packs plenty of fun for shared reading and plenty of detail for repeated, individual exploration.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this sequel to Mr. Peek and the Misunderstanding at the Zoo, zookeeper Mr. Peek is throwing a celebration to celebrate the birth of a baby panda, Lulu, and he's so excited about it that he's getting distracted from the tasks at hand. He neglects to close up the penguin pen, waxes the turtles' shells with shoe polish, and forgets to feed Mr. Whiskerwitz the lion-which isn't good when Lulu wanders into the lion's enclosure. Luckily, Mr. Peek's son is on top of things, ensuring that the festivities end with a parade, not panda-cide. Cheeky visual humor and a kids-save-the-day plot provide plenty of entertainment. Ages 3-7. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Zookeeper Peek, in his bottle-green suit, prepares for a celebration of the new baby panda, but his to-do list is so long that he keeps getting distracted. An open gate allows penguins to follow him, tortoises are shoe-blacked instead of polished, and the thermostat in the polar habitat pool is turned to hot. Luckily, young Jimmy Peek helps correct mishaps-except for locating the missing guest of honor. Mr. Peek brainstorms a "special prize today for the first visitor to spot the baby panda," who sits in the cage of an unfed lion. But Jimmy saves the day with a can of Roar for Hungry Lions, so a gatefold of an animal parade concludes the festivities. Waldron's large cartoons of retro-clad people and use of varying typefaces add to the commotion. Sly views of the panda's covert journey keep concern at bay. An appealing addition.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2014. 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
Zookeeper Mr. Peek wants to display the new panda baby, but things go wrong at every turn. Luckily son Jimmy helps out, and a zoo parade (shown in a foldout spread) brings an almost-perfect end to the misadventure. Don't look for verisimilitude in this zoo (elephants are bright blue!), but there's a lot of fun in the silly text and lively geometric illustrations. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A parade, a party and a panda veer tenuously close to a disastrous fiasco in this charming sequel. Mr. Peek returns for his second adventure (Mr. Peek and the Misunderstanding at the Zoo, 2011). The zoo is welcoming the birth of a new baby panda, and its zookeeper wants to celebrate in style. As he tells his son, Jimmy, he wants everything to be "tickety-boo for our big day at Peek Zoo!" But while Jimmy does his chores to the letter, Mr. Peek has a tendency to get distracted. He singlehandedly paints some highly perturbed tortoises' shells black, nearly gives his polar bear heatstroke and manages to allow the new baby a means of escape. The near catastrophe is saved in the end by (who else?) Jimmy, and all is declared a grand success. The story comes shockingly, delightfully close to true horror (the baby panda is at one point within a hair's breadth of becoming lion food) but wraps up neatly by the end. The accompanying digital art resonates with the influence of 1960s designers and fizzes with energy. It's a true shame, though, that the attending hordes of visitors are disconcertingly, universally white. In spite of this misfire, few will be able to resist this sweet tale of adult incompetence and youthful problem-solving skills. (Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
