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Hole in the Zoo
From the bestselling team behind Kipper, I Will Love You Anyway and Fred, an energetic rhyming adventure jam-packed with mischievous animals swinging, splashing and crashing through the pages.
At Upalongdownalong Avenue
in the garden at Number 2,
there's a hole in the wall
that belongs to the Zoo
and things have started coming through...Praise for Mick Inkpen:
'You simply cannot fail to win smiles with a new book about Kipper.' Daily Mail
'The charmingly comical Inkpen, as always, hits the spot.' GuardianPraise for Zoe and Beans:
'These books will become well-loved members of any child's book collection.' CarouselFor activities, competitions and other fun stuff check out www.chloeinkpen.comMick Inkpen has been a bestselling children's author for over 25 years. He is one of today's most popular picture book author/illustrators and the famous creator of both Kipper and Wibbly Pig. Mick has won the Children's Book Award for Threadbear and the British Book Award twice, for Penguin Small and Lullabyhullaballoo. Kipper won a BAFTA for Best Animated Film. It wasn't until Mick became a father that he began his career in children's books. Now father and daughter have come together for a unique and exciting picture book partnership. Chloë Inkpen grew up surrounded by picture books and has a natural gift for storytelling. A love of language and art saw her swap an English degree course at Nottingham University for a degree in Illustration at the Glasgow School of Art. In her final year Chloë was awarded second place in the Macmillan Prize for Illustration. Chloë's events in schools, libraries and festivals across the UK regularly receive glowing reviews. Mick and Chloë are the co-creators of Hole in the Zoo, the Fred series and the Zoe and Beans series.
At Upalongdownalong Avenue
in the garden at Number 2,
there's a hole in the wall
that belongs to the Zoo
and things have started coming through...Praise for Mick Inkpen:
'You simply cannot fail to win smiles with a new book about Kipper.' Daily Mail
'The charmingly comical Inkpen, as always, hits the spot.' GuardianPraise for Zoe and Beans:
'These books will become well-loved members of any child's book collection.' CarouselFor activities, competitions and other fun stuff check out www.chloeinkpen.comMick Inkpen has been a bestselling children's author for over 25 years. He is one of today's most popular picture book author/illustrators and the famous creator of both Kipper and Wibbly Pig. Mick has won the Children's Book Award for Threadbear and the British Book Award twice, for Penguin Small and Lullabyhullaballoo. Kipper won a BAFTA for Best Animated Film. It wasn't until Mick became a father that he began his career in children's books. Now father and daughter have come together for a unique and exciting picture book partnership. Chloë Inkpen grew up surrounded by picture books and has a natural gift for storytelling. A love of language and art saw her swap an English degree course at Nottingham University for a degree in Illustration at the Glasgow School of Art. In her final year Chloë was awarded second place in the Macmillan Prize for Illustration. Chloë's events in schools, libraries and festivals across the UK regularly receive glowing reviews. Mick and Chloë are the co-creators of Hole in the Zoo, the Fred series and the Zoe and Beans series.
32 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2019
About the author
Mick Inkpen
389 books66 followersMick Inkpen is one of the most popular author/illustrators in the world. His books have sold over 4 million copies, and have been translated into over twenty different languages. His best-loved characters are probably Kipper and Wibbly Pig – who are both stars of their very own TV series!
He began his career as a graphic designer, and worked with another children’s author Nick Butterworth (of Percy the Park Keeper fame) on a cartoon strip for the Sunday Express. In 1989 The Blue Balloon was published to great acclaim, and established him as an important and original voice in children’s picture books. He and his wife, Debbie, also had children of their own by this point: “Without the experience of having children of my own I doubt that I would have been capable of writing effectively for children. And yet it’s true that good work really springs from trying to please yourself”
Mick lives in Essex with his wife and two children.
He began his career as a graphic designer, declining a place to study English at Cambridge University. During this period he worked with Nick Butterworth, a fellow children’s author, from whom he learned design and typography. Together they developed a cartoon strip for the Sunday Express magazine, later to become a first series of children’s picture books. They also worked in children’s television.
In 1989 The Blue Balloon established him as a truly original voice in children’s picture books, by which time Mick and his wife Debbie had two children of their own. “Without the experience of having children of my own I doubt that I would have been capable of writing effectively for children. And yet it’s true that good work really springs from trying to please yourself”
He began his career as a graphic designer, and worked with another children’s author Nick Butterworth (of Percy the Park Keeper fame) on a cartoon strip for the Sunday Express. In 1989 The Blue Balloon was published to great acclaim, and established him as an important and original voice in children’s picture books. He and his wife, Debbie, also had children of their own by this point: “Without the experience of having children of my own I doubt that I would have been capable of writing effectively for children. And yet it’s true that good work really springs from trying to please yourself”
Mick lives in Essex with his wife and two children.
He began his career as a graphic designer, declining a place to study English at Cambridge University. During this period he worked with Nick Butterworth, a fellow children’s author, from whom he learned design and typography. Together they developed a cartoon strip for the Sunday Express magazine, later to become a first series of children’s picture books. They also worked in children’s television.
In 1989 The Blue Balloon established him as a truly original voice in children’s picture books, by which time Mick and his wife Debbie had two children of their own. “Without the experience of having children of my own I doubt that I would have been capable of writing effectively for children. And yet it’s true that good work really springs from trying to please yourself”
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 1, 2019
This is a great little book! Super illustrations help to tell a lovely rhyming tale of animals escaping from the zoo into the garden of Number 2! Great for 'oo' words, days of the week and spotting animals!
August 11, 2026
This could be a good option for a Bedtime at the Zoo Pajama Storytime.
Storytime Ideas: Zoo, Animals, Rhyming, Bedtime
Storytime Ideas: Zoo, Animals, Rhyming, Bedtime
August 2, 2020
Colorful, fun, and mischievous, with loads of animals. For those of you who like a touch of darkness in their children's literature, my wife pointed out that there is some mystery as to the fate of the zookeeper: is he a victim of revolution?
August 14, 2020
The is a rollicking good time story, filled with animals and rhymes and a great story. Perfect for storytimes or bedtimes, adults and children alike will enjoy this delightful story about what comes through the hole in the zoo.
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September 21, 2019Library book for Marcus
April 8, 2022
Cute illustrations. My favorite part of the whole book was the little introduction at the beginning..."things have started coming through..."
The book ended pretty abruptly though.
The book ended pretty abruptly though.
April 24, 2023
This picture book is complete chaos, without any world-building or context for what is happening, and the ending is very abrupt.
August 8, 2025
Great rhyming book!
July 5, 2012
Mick Inkpen is a successful author and illustrator who continues to delight young readers and their parents.
Mick has won many awards for his books including: the Children’s Book Award and The Parents and Munch Bunch Play and Learn Award.
Nick Butterworth is also an author and illustrator. Both authors worked together to write a series of children’s picture books.
Jasper is determined to grow a beanstalk. He plants a bean and tends to it carefully each day. Finally, he gets fed up of waiting for it to grow so he digs up the bean and throws it away.
Jasper thinks that the bean will never grow into a beanstalk, but a long time later he is surprised.
This book is in the fairytales and their alternatives genre. The book has clear illustrations which will allow readers to use picture cues to help them read the text. The book has simple, clear and extra large text.
The story touches on the topic of the cycles of nature and how things grow, with a gentle moral of how everything comes to those who wait.
NLS Links Foundation and key stage 1, ages 3 – 6
Cross circular links Science – growing plants
Mick has won many awards for his books including: the Children’s Book Award and The Parents and Munch Bunch Play and Learn Award.
Nick Butterworth is also an author and illustrator. Both authors worked together to write a series of children’s picture books.
Jasper is determined to grow a beanstalk. He plants a bean and tends to it carefully each day. Finally, he gets fed up of waiting for it to grow so he digs up the bean and throws it away.
Jasper thinks that the bean will never grow into a beanstalk, but a long time later he is surprised.
This book is in the fairytales and their alternatives genre. The book has clear illustrations which will allow readers to use picture cues to help them read the text. The book has simple, clear and extra large text.
The story touches on the topic of the cycles of nature and how things grow, with a gentle moral of how everything comes to those who wait.
NLS Links Foundation and key stage 1, ages 3 – 6
Cross circular links Science – growing plants
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews