Written by an actual zookeeper, A Day at the Zoo explores some of the funnier aspects of the zookeeper's job, in particular the strange questions they are asked by the zoo's visitors. It also gives an in depth look at the normal everyday interactions between zookeepers and the animals they work with. A must read for animal lovers.
Mary was an early reader. She surprised her mother by learning to read at four and going on to read Charlotte’s Web and Peter Pan before first grade. In high school, her advanced reading helped her to earn a place in California’s state Academic Decathlon competition, winning gold medals in the literature exam over multiple years. Her love of reading continued through her first career path as a biologist, spurring her to write fiction during her off time. She earned a Bachelor of Science: Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation from the University of California San Diego, became a veterinarian’s assistant, then a field biologist in Ghana, Costa Rica, and Hawaii, and then a zookeeper at the San Francisco Zoo, while she wrote her first novel.
Inevitably her passion for reading and writing drew her to publishing.
She graduated from Mills College, Oakland with a MFA in Creative Writing and English, and is currently a Literary Agent at Aevitas Creative Management.
Short but extremely fun read! I was given a copy of this short story by the author. She was asking if I would review another book for her and noticed that I was a veterinary technician, she thought I would enjoy her short story. Boy, was she ever right. I could totally relate to the story and I found it both light-hearted and humorous. It is such a great little story that I think even readers that aren't in veterinary or animal related fields will enjoy it as well. My only complaint, I wish it was longer! I compare it to those Dessert Shooters at restaurants like Applebees. They are so yummy, but they are small and you just want there to be more.
This is a very short tale by a zookeeper,giving a short tour of the her zoo.While on the "tour",she answers some of the questions that have been posed to her about certain animals.I learned why flamingos are pink, and why koalas always appear so sleepy all the time.And I learned that the people in the khaki uniforms don't necessarily know it all. Overall enjoyable, just wish it was a little longer. That was am extremely short tour of the zoo!