Bridge to the Wild: Behind the Scenes at the Zoo – A Narrative Nonfiction Picture Book About Animal Research for Children

by Caitlin O'Connell

Hear crisp sounds of the hornbill in the cool air.
     Listen to the morning symphony that greets you as you enter the front gate.
     Then, step onto a leafy path that leads to a secret world of animals, each of whom you won’t want to forget, here at Zoo Atlanta.
     Over five days we meet a menagerie of magnificent animals—pandas, elephants, gorillas, meerkats, flamingos and more—alongside the longtime animal lover, scientist, and researcher Caitlin O’Connell. With inside access to the guidance and knowledge of their beloved zoo caretakers and with stunning photographs, we are able to see the day-to-day marvels—and sometimes misfortunes—behind the animals’ enclosures that often go unseen by the everyday zoo visitor.
     In this example of narrative nonfiction at its best, O’Connell has created a bridge to wild, a rare chance to look beyond the zoo and to inspire guests to see for themselves just how special the animals we share our world with are.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science

208 pages, Hardcover

First published August 2, 2016

About the author

Dr. Caitlin O'Connell is an Instructor at Harvard Medical School and a world renowned expert on elephants and vibrotactile sensitivity. She is the author of the internationally acclaimed nonfiction science memoir, The Elephant's Secret Sense (2007, Simon & Schuster--Free Press), which highlights a novel form of elephant communication as well as their conservation plight. Her narrative nonfiction photo book An Elephant's Life (2011, Lyons Press) uses a graphic novel approach to revealing subtle and intimate aspects of elephant society. Her co-authored nonfiction children's book, The Elephant Scientist (2011, Houghton Mifflin Children's Books) won five awards, including the Robert F. Sibert Honor and Horn Book Honor for 2012. A Baby Elephant In The Wild (2014, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers) was a Junior Library Guild Select and winner of the 2015 NSTA award for Outstanding Science Trade Book for students K-12. Her second science memoir, Elephant Don: The Politics Of A Pachyderm Posse (University of Chicago Press) came out in 2015. Her debut novel, Ivory Ghosts, also came out in 2015 with Alibi, an ebook imprint of Random House. The sequel to Ivory Ghosts, White Gold, came out in February, 2017 and the first issue of the comic came out in May, 2018. Bridge to the Wild was published in August, 2016 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. In her latest nonfiction book, Wild Rituals, 2020, O'Connell highlights the importance of ritual to all social animals including ourselves. O'Connell is the co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization, Utopia Scientific (www.utopiascientific.org), dedicated to research and science education. She is also co-director of Triple Helix Productions, with a mandate to develop more accurate and entertaining science content for the media. She has taught Science Writing for Stanford University and The New York Times Knowledge Network.

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess to having a great love for wildlife. Yet I consider myself more of an 'armchair' wildlife lover because I enjoy reading books or watching documentaries about them, but I wouldn't work with them very well at all (allergies being only one reason). So books like this one that talk about what working with animals is really like are really up my ally. What I loved so much about this one is that I could tell that I was reading about the experiences of a real scientist. I also loved reading about what goes on behind the scenes in a zoo. That zoos aren't just about providing enjoyment for the masses, but also learning about the animals and their characteristics that could lead to advancements for people as well as better conditions for the animals, both captive and wild. Stories about pandas, bustards (a bird that booms), lions, and reptiles made for a fascinating read. The full-color photographs make a great addition, and I enjoyed reading the italicized side notes about the animals and other related topics. I didn't realize that elephants as social creatures also have hierarchies that determine rank and treatment in and out of the herd. And that these complex relationships also exist in zoos which creates a need for some creative problem-solving. Additional stories revolving around meerkats, lions, flamingos, and orangutans and gorillas fill this book with enjoyable reading. A great read for nature and/or animal lovers and especially those who want to help these animals by becoming scientists themselves.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

O'Connell does a variety of different things in this book. It is 4 days spent behind the scenes at the Atlanta Zoo with lots of inside peeks at a curator's job as well as fascinating stories about their animal charges. That alone would been enough for me but there is much more. O'Connell also talks about conservation and combating species extinction in a way that is both positive AND realistic about world conditions. I do like O'Connell's call to arms message coupled with encouraging stories of species that have been helped. Lastly, this is a bit of an instruction manual on how to observe animals and record behavioral data, complete with sample data sheets. Animal lovers and budding naturalists will be fascinated and rewarded.

I read this in galley with black and white illustrations and am eager to see the finished copy with the color photography that she and her husband do so well.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched guide to various animals at the Atlanta zoo. Includes in-depth research methods, animal behaviors, anecdotes. For older readers. Much technical information and advanced vocabulary.

[Dee Kohler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about Zoo Atlanta, behind the scenes view. Each chapter deals with a different animal - lions, meerkats, pandas, ostrich, elephants, etc talks about the social structures, endangered animals and the unique challenges of each breed.
Also introduced all the professionals that care for the inhabitants. Kids get an idea of the many facets of a working zoo and career options . Additional material includes observational records for students to use.

Idid enjoy the book but a zoo is a confinement for animals that should be free.
Could be a good choice for compare/contrast (use with One and only Ivan) or a persuasive argument lesson

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept idea of the book but it fell a bit short in the delivery. Caitlin O'Connell's usual fun and enthusiastic writing was a bit stilted and overly explanatory. What was conceived as a walk though the zoo became an awkward jump from one place to another and back again. I wanted more stories and more time with the individual animals.

[MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, the sub-title of my copy is "Behind the scenes at the zoo."

I would have loved having a book like this when I was 10 years old! All sorts of "miscellaneous" information, ie. interesting details, about zoo animals and animals in the wild....the whys and wherefores of zoos of the past and present. An easy entertaining read for a young person interested in wild animals.

[Glenna Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

O'Connelll and her husband take a tour behind the scenes at the Atlanta Zoo over the course of several days. This book is packed with interesting information that the author hopes will bridge the gap in readers from seeing animals to knowing and caring about animals and then, to care about their environments.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first-person stories and photographs. Animal lovers need this book!

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and engaging!

[Keshia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A little repetitive, but I liked all the information about the various zoo inhabitants. And the photos were beautiful!

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm about to gush here. If you read my reviews often enough, you probably have guessed that I love any nonfiction book about animals, conservation and preservation, and even better when the ideas are combined. In Bridge to the Wild, Dr. Caitlin O'Connell begins by recalling a childhood visit to the zoo - back when animals were still largely kept in cages (I remember it well), and saw a gorilla, seemingly in deep despair over living in a cage not much bigger than he was.

Thankfully, those days are (mostly) over. Zoos are more like natural preserves now, offering many animals larger spaces to roam; conservation and preservation is the order of the day, with zoo staff rescuing and caring for animals all over the world. As more animals face extinction at the hands of poachers, habitat devastation, and pollutants that contaminate their environment, zoos are playing a bigger part in keeping our wildlife alive, and conducting valuable research on improving their conditions and our world. Bridge to the Wild is Dr. O'Connell's manifesto, where she lays out the valuable ways zoos are a bridge for humans, to the wild outside our doors.

Dr. O'Connell spent a week working with the staff at Zoo Atlanta - a private, nonprofit wildlife park and zoo - to observe the relationships between animals and caretakers, to help strengthen this bridge. After all, what we see as observers is only the tip of the iceberg; many, many loving and brilliant people are behind the scenes, learning about and learning from the animals, caring for them, loving them. From the Dawn Chorus - the morning symphony conducted by the tenants as the day begins, to the Dusk Chorus, when they start winding down for the night, Dr. O'Connell and Tim Rodwell introduce us to the inhabitants of Zoo Atlanta, from the pandas, to the hornbills, meerkats, gorillas, tigers and more.

There are anecdotes and beautiful photographs, a "Keeper Feature" that profiles the different keepers at Zoo Atlanta, and a fantastic note on ignorance and extinction, which is a real call to action to end senseless poaching of animal parts for talismans and "remedies" that simply don't work. A full bibliography and sources are available and provide more research opportunities, and data sheets encourage budding zoologists to do some research on their own, guided by Dr. O'Connell, who lays out simple experiments to observe and record behaviors.

Animal books are hugely popular with my Corona Kids, and I've been stacking my collection with plenty of rescue, preservation, and conservation titles for them, to drive home the point that this planet doesn't only belong to us. Bridge to the Wild is going to be one of those books I talk endlessly about, especially since my library is about a stone's throw away from the Queens Zoo. I may even slip copies of this book into teachers' hands during class visits, with a "hint, hint" nudge for a class trip activity (sorry, kids!). That's how important this book is to me.

Bridge to the Wild has received a starred review from School Library Journal. Learn more about Dr. O'Connell's work and books at her author website.

[Lindsay Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great book to read because I learned so much about different animals in the wild. I was able to learn more than what I previously had known. I think it'd be a great read for upper elementary, or intermediate levels. It's also something that could teach elementary kids where different wild animals live, and who helps them when it's needed. I love how it started with monkeys, then went onto pandas, and so on. It started off with an animal children have seen in person at maybe the zoo, and then went back and forth between animals that could possibly be at a zoo. It was helpful in learning small details that would be helpful to teach in a classroom.

I chose Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow, because even though my nonfiction book talks about different types of wild animals, monkeys were ones that stood out to me the most. This book talks about how the monkeys are jumping on their bed, and their mom is telling them to stop, and they keep jumping on the bed, and the mom has to call the doctor every time a monkey falls off the bed, and the doctor tells them no more jumping on the bed, but it doesn't help, and it ends up all 5 monkeys fall off the bed. This was a favorite book of one of my siblings growing up, and I have grown to like it a lot, because it shows the mom is getting involved and telling the monkeys to stop, but they still won't, so they learn a lesson from falling off the bed.

[Cristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes the reader on a journey with a fifty-five-year-old orangutan who needs the attention of the zoo veterinarian and larger than life elephants. They also show the reader a black mamba snake and the panda families. The author is also a researcher, scientist, and long time animal lover. The story is told from her perspective on the outside looking in. I would recommend this for collections looking for books about zoo animals and the daily workings in the zoo.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice narrative non-fiction book about Zoo Atlanta and their efforts at conservation. The book also has information about animal behavior and events at the zoo. I think this one will make a good guided reading book for upper elementary students because the writing is very compelling. There are lots of great, full color photographs to add interest.

[Christine D · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too scientific, but a great resource for young adult readers who are considering a profession in zoology.
I can't put my finger on it, but I thought it was a little dry.

[Mills College Library]

636.0889 O181 2016

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and expertly-researched narrative nonfiction about a variety of animals at Zoo Atlanta. Interesting facts presented in an entertaining way and I loved the way the author used the zoo encounters to then make a connection to the animal in the wild and inform readers about that aspect. Amazing photos as well!