Through with the Zoo

by Jacob Grant

Goat has always dreamed of having his very own space.

But Goat lives in a petting zoo, surrounded by hugs and rubs and grabby little hands.

Determined to find his perfect alone space, Goat escapes into the big zoo. But space is not an easy thing to find.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Hello! I’m Jacob Grant and I make picture books. Absurd and heartfelt picture books.

Originally from Ohio, I now live in Chicago with my wife and one very busy child. When not wrangling this little force of nature, I can be found in my home studio drawing, painting and writing until something feels story-ish. With a bit of luck, some of this mess gets made into books!

Author and Illustrator of:
BEAR'S SCARE Bloomsbury 2018
THROUGH WITH THE ZOO Feiwel & Friends 2017
CAT KNIT Feiwel & Friends 2016
LITTLE BIRD'S BAD WORD Feiwel & Friends 2015
SCAREDY KATE Barron’s 2014

Illustrator of:
OWLS ARE GOOD AT KEEPING SECRETS Penguin Random House 2018

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or just to say hi.

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in Dutch, but will write my review in English.

So, my very first book of 2019. Just like with any of my 4 books I read on 1st of January, it was hard to not read them as soon as I got them (Christmas/Saturday), but I managed. I wanted this one to be my very first book of the year. A cute goat, looking for a place of quiet en peace, zoos and petting zoos, what more could I want?

This cute picture book is about a cute goat living in a petting zoo in the midst of a big zoo. Every day is the same he gets up and gets glomped and hugged and petted and loved. TOO much for our goat that he decides his luck elsewhere. I could imagine, I love hugs, I do. But so much? Nah.

I had great fun seeing him try out exhibits of other creatures. And I had even greater fun due to his expressions (which I shared with my fiance who also thought them hilarious). We see him try his luck at an elephant (only to be held in its trunk), with penguins (he looked so so lost), and some others.

I was wondering if this would be it, but oh no! Our goat moves on, and then finds the greatest spot of them all. But sorry, I did think it was a bit ridiculous that he goes back to the petting zoo, because apparently he does miss all the attention. Um, weren't you like trying to get away from the overdose? OH well, I guess it works out as he now has his own spot and can decide on his own how much hugs he wants. But I still thought it was a tad silly, and even my fiance agreed.

The art was definitely a favourite, I already had good hopes due to the hilarious cover, and I was delighted that the rest of the book was just like it. Just as funny.

All in all, a really funny book and I am glad that I was able to make this my first book of the year!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cuteness of this goat cannot be overstated. Perfect for your little introvert.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this picture book about a petting zoo animal suffering something of an existential crisis. Unlike many of the other animals, Goat just wants to be alone and is tired of all the attention he gets from the children who reach out to pet him and pet him and pet him. Desperately seeking some solitude, he flees the small area and heads for the larger zoo. But he just can't get comfortable with the other animals and realizes that perhaps living alone is the right choice for him. At first he enjoys his alone time and all the open space he is as well as not having to deal with any grabby little hands. As it turns out, although the solitary life has its charms, Goat realizes that he misses some of the attention he once had. As he reminds himself, "everyone needs a hug now and then" (unpaged), and back he goes to his home. At least now he knows about somewhere that allows him to escape from all that affection when he feels the need to do so. Parents and little ones will enjoy this story because it depicts the feelings that many of us feel about too much closeness. The illustrations, created with charcoal and crayon and then digitally colored, are quite handsome, surrounded by abundant white space. I'd share this with my students who would get a kick out of seeing Goat fleeing from all the love those children wanted to share with him. I've always wondered what it might be like to petting zoo animals because it is possible to have too much love or get petted and stroked too much, especially against one's will.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A goat in the petting zoo wants some privacy. After a series of missteps he finds a quiet space and, eventually, starts to feel lonely. A good message that it's not about being in a crowd or being alone, it's about balancing the two and knowing what you need at the time.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute story about a goat who is kind of over living at the petting zoo He leaves, and then realizes how lonely it is living on his own away from the zoo, and decides to go back to where hugs and friends are.

[Kathrynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An introverted goat just needs some space!

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacob Grant is one of my new favorites. ❤️ This goat is adorable.

[Alison Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goat lives in a petting zoo but needs a break and space isn't always easy to find. I found this to be a charming, amusing story about sometimes needing time away from others (and sometimes needing hugs). I appreciated the humorous expressions on Goat's face as he tries different living arrangements at the zoo. The illustrations are muted in color and suit the mood of the book. I enjoyed the layout and the easy-to-read font. If your child enjoys this book than give "Strictly No Elephants" by Lisa Mantchev a try.

[Lupine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute book about learning the balance of too much social interaction vs not enough. The illustrations though -- so cute and the illustrator manages to convey so much in this little goat's face...excellent!

[Kristin Guay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you ever wonder about the animals that live in a petting zoo? Do they want to be there? Do they want to be petted by hordes of young children? Well, this is the story of Goat who did live in a petting zoo, but there was one little problem – he did not like being petted. Every day he would gaze beyond his enclosure and dream of someday being able to escape the clutches of tiny children’s hands. The day finally came when he made a big leap (literally!) and began discovering for himself if the proverbial grass is really greener on the other side. As he began living with the other animals in the zoo, he soon realized that things were not always perfect on the other side. He found the koala a little too clingy, the elephant too noisy, and not enough space with the penguins, monkeys or the mother bear and her cubs. He decided what he really needed was some serious space so he ventured out into the quiet countryside. The only problem – that was a little too much space. He soon realized that his true home was back at the petting zoo (but now he did know where he could go if he did need a little more alone time).

What I really liked about this book was that I thought it was a voice for introverts – especially young children that sometimes need their space. Goat reminded me of some people I know, both children and adults, that enjoy being with a group but also require some peace and quiet as well. It was great to see Goat realize in the end that his life could contain a little of both.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goat dreams of a space of his own but instead lives in a petting zoo surrounded by children and their hands. One day he leaves the zoo and walks until he finds a place to be alone. Goat soon finds that he misses the zoo and even the children so he goes back home but now knows he can find space when he needs it. Grant makes masterful use of frame in muted illustrations – goat is confined to a small square in the middle of white pages and gradually takes more the page until he finds all the space he needs in a two page spread. Goat’s need for space and time to think should resonate with many children and his determination to fill this need is well-modeled, but not at expense of the story. This is a strong pick for storytimes and lap reading. Highly Recommended.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant, Jacob Through with the Zoo. PICTURE BOOK. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2017. $17. 9781250108142

Goat wants a little more personal space. Okay, a lot more. Unfortunately, he lives at a petting zoo. When he tries to escape, his plan backfires; it turns out that the little kids aren't the only clingy ones at the zoo. So are the koalas. And the elephants. And so many others, too!

This sparsely-worded picture book would make a fun whole-class read-aloud. The illustrations are adorable, and the (rather predictable) storyline is perfect for discussions about story structure.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- ADVISABLE. Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Abbey Pignatari · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 (ebook)

This book is absolutely adorable and passes along a great message that many young readers are working to understand - everyone needs personal space! Again, Jacob Grant's use of animals in this story feels appropriate. The conversation about Goat needing space and understanding that it is okay to need that space is soooooooo important for young readers to know. So many times young individuals are forced to embrace physical contact through hugs, high fives, holding hands, etc., but adults and role models should be letting them know that it is OKAY to need space.

Great story, great message.

[Kalynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes what we think we want, we really don't want, and what we need is right in front of us. I loved this zoo tale told by an overwhelmed goat at the petting zoo. I thought is would be great, for not only the social-emotional piece for all grades--especially preK-2, but especially for our kindergarten students who go to the zoo every year and study animals. It doesn't offer the science lens we are after, but does start a conversation about the need for space. Same goes for our 2nd grade PBL unit about whether or not there should be zoos. :)

[Kat Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

THROUGH THE ZOO is a picture book written about a petting zoo animal, and serves as a nice twist on the oftentimes saturated zoo story market. The plot follows Goat (who is as cute as can be!), who feels he needs a permanent break from the grabbiness of petting zoo visitors. Once he finds that solitude, he realizes that what he needs is actually more of a balance between the chaos and the calm. This author-illustrator effect from Jacob Grant is perfect for the kids who lean towards the introverted side of the spectrum + like a little quiet in their day.

[Maeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goat lives in the petting farm area of the zoo, and dislikes all of the hugs and pets and grabby hands...so he sets out to find a better place to live. When he finally escapes the zoo (and the children and the other animals), he feels a little lonely. He returns to the petting zoo, knowing he can escape to his alone space any time he needs it.

A thoroughly delightful story about needing some alone space to appreciate time together. Could be used to read aloud for storytime or one-on-one.

Storytime:
Zoo Animals
Boundaries

[Allie]

Reminds me of Leave Me Alone! and My Very Own Space. These are nice books for introverts or kids who need personal space. Another book in our arsenal to teach emotional literacy.

[Pug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sweet story with adorable animal pictures! I could totally understand the goat's revulsion at being stuck in the petting zoo with a bunch of grabby children. I liked all of his new animals friends (elephant, bear, especially penguins). But there was no surprise ending like in Jacob Grant's other books... he simply missed the hugs and returned to the petting zoo. Yuck. He should have stayed in his tree.

[Alex Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten years I've been a parent (and an introvert) bringing library books home on a weekly basis and I've just read my first book for kids that's about giving yourself space (if needed) rather than, let's say, pestering some little bunny to participate in something. Of course, in this particular case the little goat decides he misses hugs and goes back for some more, but it's quite clear he needs space and goes to find it. Refreshing.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging illustrations and compelling story dramatize a goat’s quest to define personal boundaries, yet misses an opportunity to address a big issue. Most of us need a hug every now and then, but not everyone—an important message that the goat could have conveyed through the frantic escape from the petting zoo and “grabby hands,” powerful metaphors for physical and/or sexual abuse.

[Aileen Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through With The Zoo, is a story of a small goat from the petting zoo who longed to get away from all the people and other animals and find a space of quiet and serenity. He searched high and low for such a space and when he finally found it, he realized that we all need a balance between alone space and time with others.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goat has had enough of all the grabby little hands at the petting zoo. He envies the animals at the big zoo “so safe from the wild children.” He escapes the petting zoo and tries living with Koala, then Elephant, and some other zoo animals but he still wasn’t happy. Until he found an isolated patch with a solitary tree. More space than he’d ever dreamed of. Goat is happy now, right? Right?

[Lisa Nagel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Fun simple illustrations and text which nicely tell the story of a goat who need his space but lives in a petting zoo! When he finally gets his own space, he realizes maybe those hugs are not so bad

[Quintina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goat lives in a petting zoo, so he gets lots of hugs and rubs. What goat really wants is a little time alone, so he escapes into the zoo. Through with the Zoo is a cute story with precious illustrations about just needing some alone time.

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

A goat wants space, but he's a pet in the petting zoo. He finally runs off and finds a place to be alone. Then he misses it. And goes back for a hug, but he knows where to go when he needs to be alone.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're an introvert like I am, this book is for you! Not only a wonderfully acknowledgement that not everyone likes being around others all the time, it's also a powerful reminder that even the most introverted of us do still need others...at least sometimes. Love this.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A goat wishes to leave the petting zoo and get space of his own. He starts with the zoo and visits various animals. He achieves the space from the children and petting but still wants more space. When he finds what he thinks he wants, he isn't satisfied. The ending was a circular story end.

[Michael Ben Silva III · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one well enough, and probably would have liked it more if it had more pages to work with, but I absolutely Loved the art. Loved every page. I want prints of this whole thing to hang in my home. Great read for when you're sure your audience can see the pages.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little goat lives in a petting zoo, but he wants space and doesn’t want to be hugged and rubbed all the time. Finding a quiet and peaceful place is not easy. But when he finally finds a big empty space, he realizes that something is missing.

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack borrowed this book from the Gardner Library. I picked it because he enjoyed going to the zoo and likes animals. He read it with Grandie and Nana while Dada and I were out of town, so I don't know how he enjoyed it.