Maddie Moo Kids Book Review: This Zoo Is Not For You

by: Ross Collins

I randomly picked this one up the other day while Madeline was whirling about the children's section of Barnes and Noble as per usual. The color and simple but cute illustration are what first caught my eye. 

I've taken to actually reading through the books I plan to buy before I buy them, as opposed to just skimming a few pages and getting na impression based on my preferences for the design/artwork. I've found that sometimes I am less impressed with a book's overall story once I get it home and actually read the whole thing, so this fixes that issue. 

I thought it was really cute and had a nice little message snuck in it, but didn't anticipate how fun this one would be for Madeline. Every time we read it, she insists on immediately re-reading it, which is always a good sign.

What I think is fun about this book is that thew rhymes are all based off a single word. So we get to see how many ways one can rhyme with the word "you" which, for the record, is a lot. It's also pretty clever because it's giving you information about the different animals that the platypus encounters in the zoo. 

As for the message of the book, I would say that what we take away from it is not to jump to conclusions and be harsh with someone/ your judgements until you get to know someone, because you might be very wrong about them and then regret it. It also has a nice secondary message of letting insults roll off your back and not taking them too personally. 

Overall this is a really cute book, a quick easy read, and Madeline and I both enjoy it!