Inside a Zoo in the City

Rebus Read-Along Stories

by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Tedd Arnold

childrens book

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime

Paperback

First published November 5, 2000

About the author

Alyssa Satin Capucilli was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1957. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, and pursued her interest in dance, becoming a professional dancer and dance instructor. Though Capucilli had written stories, poems, and even puppet shows as a child, she didn't consider a career as a writer until after her own two children were born. To this day she sees herself as both a dancer and a writer, and the two professions complement each other nicely: dancing is, in her words, “telling stories in another way,” and readers of her children's books can attest to the rhythm of her language. Since 1994, she has written more than 15 books for children, and her work has been translated into French, Hebrew, Afrikaans, Greek, and Bulgarian.

Capucilli lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, with her husband and children. They have a chocolate Labrador retriever named Huckleberry, who likes to watch the author at work.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This follow-up to Inside a Barn in the Country: A Rebus Read-Along Story is another animal story told in the classic "This Is the House that Jack Built" format. Commuting zoo animals have a calling tree of sorts to help everyone get to work on time.

Cute and fun, with some animal sounds and largely useless rebuses.

[Jessica]

This book is about all the animals leaving their homes and going to the zoo. On each page the animals found before that page are listed over and over. This book also replaces the name of the animals with just a small picture of them, so the children do not have to read the animals name but rather just say what the picture shows. This book has a lot of repetition which can boost the children’s confidence. Second graders still struggle with that aspect of reading and this book provides them with the opportunities to accomplish reading easily.

[Jessica Pinnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this classic sing song book that all kids enjoy

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My nephews enjoyed this one but not nearly as much as Inside a House that is haunted.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of rebus style stories. Nor am I a much of a fan of the House That Jack Built type of story. There are exceptions to both of course, and Inside a Zoo in the City by Alyssa Satin Capucilli is one of those.

This rebus book begins in the wee hours of the morning as various exotic animals wake up and make their commute to work. Where do they work? The zoo, of course.

The book works for me for a number of reasons. The first is its length: short by the standard of this type of book. Next, it has an unusual plot: animals going to work from the city to the zoo. Finally, it has humorous illustrations to accompany the silly story.

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rebus book. It was nice when the boys were learning to read. And it's funny too.

[Yulia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the "read along" series by Alyssa Capucilli. Fun read, fun pictures, my kids love it!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Arnold's rotund animals

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for early readers. The rhyming cadence is fun and repetitive, and some words are replaced with pictures.

[Miss Janis the Storytime Lady · Rating 1 out of 5]

no.

[The Book Box]

Mama read this to me and I keep asking for it. I love helping read the book by using pictures!