What Do You Do If You Work at the Zoo?

by Steve Jenkins

Simplified Chinese edition of What do you do with a tail like this? A 2004 Caldecott Honor Book. It shows the unique ability each animal has with a special part of its body. The trunk of an elephant can spray water, a monkey's leg can do pick-ups, a bat's ear can monitor for danger...

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Science

Hardcover

Published July 6, 2020

About the author

Steve was born in 1952 in Hickory, North Carolina. His father, who would become a physics professor and astronomer (and recently his co-author on a book about the Solar System), was in the military and, later, working on science degrees at several different universities. We moved often. Steve lived in North Carolina, Panama, Virginia, Kansas, and Colorado. Wherever he lived, he kept a menagerie of lizards, turtles, spiders, and other animals, collected rocks and fossils, and blew things up in his small chemistry lab.

Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.

His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.

Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.

In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.

Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.

Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book that introduces the types of jobs zoo keepers need to do to care for animals at a zoo.

There are multiple levels this book can be read at. There's very simple text in large font on every page, and that would be sufficient for kids with low attention spans. For kids who can sit longer or are more curious, there are text boxes with more info on each page. And for the really curious animal lovers, there's a paragraph of information on every animal featured in the book in the back along with more information on the role of zoos today and their history. This would be a great book to include in occupation/job units, and a fantastic pick for animal lovers.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great back matter!

[Tina Fazenbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives examples of many of the jobs of zoo keepers. It shows the good and the bad. They get to bottle feed baby giraffes but they also have to scoop up pop. This book also gives reasons as to why they do certain jobs or why certain animals are there. For example, they must weigh animals to make sure their healthy. Some animals may be there because they lost their mother and this is meant to be a sanctuary for them.

I really enjoyed this book, in fact, I wish I had read it three years ago and maybe I'd be training to work in a zoo myself; this book makes it sound like so much fun. I love that it gives reasons as to why animals are there sometimes because there are many critics that are against keeping animals in the zoo and this is a good reason.

I would use this to talk about different careers. I could read books with descriptions of a variety of jobs for the future that children may be interested in.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really excellent (name me a book Steve Jenkins works on that is not) non-fiction for the elementary age that would be great for animal-loving kids, career day, or pre-reading for a trip to the zoo.

Jenkins takes his amazing collage art and adds text describing unusual ways zookeepers interact with their charges -- from grooming with a rake to feeding by creating food puzzles for bored animals.

It's a little long to read word-for-word in story time, but a second-to-fifth grader could read independently, or you can always just read a little bit of each paragraph or skip some pages to make it a good length.

As always, more information about each animal fills the back of the book as does important information about the pros and cons of zoos, locations of some popular zoos, and a timeline of thought on the keeping of wild animals.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenkins and Page have created another colorful, fun, and informative book. This one is about zoos and the work done there - much of it not what one might expect that a zoo keeper would have to do. Some of it sounds fun but some of it is messy and possibly dangerous. The best thing about each item is that it explains WHY the zookeeper has to do that thing: for health, for safety, for data, etc. Some examples of the work done include picking up panda poop, feeding hyenas blood popsicles, creating puzzles for meerkats, counting penguin colonies, etc. At the back of the book there is a map of some of the world's top zoos, a zoo timeline, some pros and cons about zoos, and then a paragraph about each animal highlighted earlier in the book.
This is an excellent introductory book. It can be used for a basic look at what zoos do, for career information, for information about animals, etc.

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

What do you do if you work at the zoo? You take care of animals of course! But while you will make sure animals are healthy and well fed, you might also have some more unique tasks like giving an elephant a pedicure, counting penguins, brushing a hippo's teeth, tickling a tapir, serenading a seal, and more.

This book has enough fun tidbits to keep kids engaged, plus it has Steve Jenkins appealing illustration style. However, I wish it moved beyond the zookeeper's role in a zoo--the book makes it seems like the only zoo employees are zookeepers and that isn't the case.

[Joyful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar children's nonfiction - provides information not only on the oddball duties of zookeepers, but also a few surprising facts about the animals who live at the zoo. The information ection at the end of the book offers viewpoints about the ethics of zoos in general, as well as the history and missions of zoos. The final section also features additional information about each animal featured throughout the book. This would make a marvelous read-aloud and spark many conversations with young, curious minds.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner for Steve Jenkins! Would you like to carry a joey around in a pouch for six months? Weigh a python? Count penguins? Or help a hyena cool off by feeding it a blood Popsicle? Those are just a few of the many things that zoo workers do every day. I especially liked that a timeline of zoos was included in the back along with a list of the world's best zoos. There was also information on how zoos are constantly changing and why they are important. And now I want to go volunteer at a zoo! Though I'd probably be assigned to shoveling poop - a VERY important job at the zoo!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super cute picture book that introduces readers to many different responsibilities of a Zookeeper. At the end of this book is a 4-page spread that showcases What a Zookeeper does, Zoo Pros and Cons, some of the World's Top Zoos (the only one [of the 13] that I have been to is the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.), a Zoo Timeline, and then information about each of the animals, including where they may be found in the wild, showcased throughout the book.

Excellent!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Zookeepers also have more unusual responsibilities. You might find yourself playing games with a monkey, imitating a vulture, weighing a snake ... even tickling a tapir.”

This book gives a lot of interesting information in a very kid friendly format. There is also additional information in the back to extend the reader’s knowledge on the different animals highlighted and zoos, in general. As always, the illustrations are wonderful.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as the title suggests, readers learn about various tasks zoo workers encounter. Would you like to shine a tortoise shell, tickle a tapir with a leaf rake, or make a bloodsicle for an overheated hyena? Tie-in with non-fiction studies of community helpers. Enjoy the signature Steve and Robin Jenkins illustrations, and learn about the unusual jobs at the zoo! Recommended for lower-middle grade elementary learners.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenkins and Page team up again for this really charming and beautiful look at some of the unexpected jobs that zookeepers undertake to help their charges flourish. Such activities include puzzling a meerkat, shining a tortoise's shell, training a dragon and picking up panda poop.

Excellent back matter includes more information zookeeper's responsibilities, a list of major zoos with a map, zoo pros and cons, and a listing of the animals in the book with more information about each one.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautiful collaboration by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. This highly informative picture book with its closeup illustrations of animals in the zoo is actually focusing on the work of the zookeepers. It turns out that the work of a zookeeper varies from animal to animal and this book gives plenty of unusual examples of the type of work that goes on daily in zoos. Don't miss the excellent back matter! A fascinating book to browse or read aloud!

[Margo Tanenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from Steve Jenkins, this book could work great for a zoo-themed or animal themed storytime. Back matter includes more detailed information on each animal, but the main text is brief enough for young children, and includes all kinds of unusual things zookeepers do with their charges that most of us don't think of. Delightful.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives you a great look into all the varied aspects of being a zookeeper, from trimming elephants toenails to teaching animals behaviors. I went to school to be a zookeeper and most people don't realize just how many things a zookeeper does for the animals. My 4 year old daughter wants to be a zookeeper and she loved this book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love picture books by Steve Jenkins. They are interesting and informative for kids (and adults!) and his collages are beautiful.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The book will be released on April 28, 2020.

[Liz Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful picture book about jobs at the zoo. It’s relatable on many levels, as younger children will enjoy the story, then older children will enjoy learning more about the specific jobs and animals. The book is good for all elementary school levels.

[Heidi Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Jenkins and Robin Page have done it again! This gorgeously illustrated non-fiction picture book is a great introduction to what zoo keepers do. Each page introduces an interesting animal and the special or odd care that it requires.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book that shows some of the strange things you might do if you work at a zoo. Simplistic text and more detailed text. In the back is historical and ethical information about zoos, as well as information about animals seen in the book.

[Ellon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this! I’m not a zoo keeper but I volunteer at the zoo so I get to see and hear about what the keepers do and this book is spot on. I love the back matter that tells about the purpose of zoos and the additional information about each animal.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenkins's illustrations are always a delight to look at at. In this book, he gets to illustrate a variety of unusual animals being cared for in unique ways, such as an aardvark having sunscreen rubbed on his ears or a hippo having her teeth cleaned with a giant brush.

[Laura Salas · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU WORK AT THE ZOO? A lot more than just feed the animals! Fabulous array of fun (and not-so-fun) tasks that zookeepers might do. Excellent #nonfiction #Picturebook by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. @HMHKids #KidLit #KidLitSTEM #AmReading

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am never disappointed in a book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. There nonfiction books contain great information and detailed illustrations. I learned some new things about zookeepers and the animals they care for in the zoo.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Another outstanding collaboration between Jenkins & Page exploring many lesser known activities zoo workers might do. Fabulous back matter! Cuddle a joey sounds like something I might like to do!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book introduces readers to some of the jobs zookeeper's do regularly. It's a super basic introduction, but it's aimed for preschoolers and early elementary so that's perfect. This is a great one-on-one or group read.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Mandy Robek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love this book - readers learn about different jobs and more detailed information about why the need and how the job is done.

[Big · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and interesting despite the controversy surrounding zoos.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fun, fascinating things people do to keep zoo animals safe, healthy, and happy, even though they are not in their natural habitats.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more in depth look at some of the more unique jobs a zoo worker may have.