What do you think?
Rate this book
The Pop Up Dear Zoo [with CD]
Loved by children for over twenty years, Rod Campbell's classic title is now available in pop-up form. Retaining all the charm of the original title, this new edition is packed full of exciting surprises! Open the zoo's crates, and you'll find an extremely tall giraffe, an incredibly fierce lion, an exceptionally naughty monkey...plus much more. Innovative, witty and as delightful as ever, "The Pop-Up Dear Zoo" is a guaranteed winner!
Audio CD
First published January 1, 1982
107 people are currently reading
6371 people want to read
About the author
Rod Campbell
356 books55 followersHe was brought up in Zimbabwe and returned to Britain where he completed a doctorate in organic chemistry. In 1980 he became involved in children's publishing where he began designing innovative books with interactive elements and repetitive phrases.
In 1987 he founded Campbell Blackie Books in partnership with his publisher Blackie. Campbell Books (as it became in 1989) was sold in 1995 to Macmillan Publishers.
In 1987 he founded Campbell Blackie Books in partnership with his publisher Blackie. Campbell Books (as it became in 1989) was sold in 1995 to Macmillan Publishers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 888 reviews
February 9, 2016
Original review, August 19, 2015
Huh, I somehow missed this excellent very-easy-reader when I was kid and only just encountered it as my baby niece had it. She handed it to me in exchange for my Michelin Must Sees Milan & Italian Lakes guide, which apparently I am not getting back. I did not get to keep this book, either. Babies are unfair like that.
Update, February 8, 2016
5 months later this is still a firm favorite with my niece, who wanted it read three times before bed. She has memorized it now, and certainly knows the name of all the animals, but seems to enjoy pretending to not know them. If I ask, "What do you think is in this cage?" and she knows it is a lion, she'll say "Giraffe!" and when we get to the giraffe she'll insist it's a kitty, and that sort of thing. Two-year-olds are quite contrary.
The flaps have held up quite well, and the book about Italian lakes is also undamaged (it's still on the shelf with Sandra Boynton and Mem Fox.
Huh, I somehow missed this excellent very-easy-reader when I was kid and only just encountered it as my baby niece had it. She handed it to me in exchange for my Michelin Must Sees Milan & Italian Lakes guide, which apparently I am not getting back. I did not get to keep this book, either. Babies are unfair like that.
Update, February 8, 2016
5 months later this is still a firm favorite with my niece, who wanted it read three times before bed. She has memorized it now, and certainly knows the name of all the animals, but seems to enjoy pretending to not know them. If I ask, "What do you think is in this cage?" and she knows it is a lion, she'll say "Giraffe!" and when we get to the giraffe she'll insist it's a kitty, and that sort of thing. Two-year-olds are quite contrary.
The flaps have held up quite well, and the book about Italian lakes is also undamaged (it's still on the shelf with Sandra Boynton and Mem Fox.
July 12, 2025
‘Dear Zoo’ is a common board cum lift-the-flap book that is always present in the ‘new books’ pile of my local library back here in Bandra West, Mumbai. India. Since I am busy studying for my PGCITE course or my Post Graduate Certificate in International Teacher Education (along with my MTS or master’s in catholic theology – God help me I’m busy 24/7!) and since we are trained also in the PYP curriculum, I thought I’d read and review many PYP books on my Portfolio Website fizapathansteachingportfolioforpgcite.com. I am sure glad I chose ‘Dear Zoo’ to review and analyze because it is a darling of a book which can be a perfect gift to any toddler or Kindergarten student who loves animals.
Rod Campbell seems like a very unassuming man, because I could find hardly any information about him on the internet, and I am quite good at researching about people famous or infamous or otherwise! Yet all I could gain about the creator of ‘Dear Zoo’ was that he has a doctorate in Organic Chemistry and that his lift-the-flap book ‘Dear Zoo’ has sold around 2 million copies worldwide since its initial publication in the year 1982, even before I was born!
He is the founder of Campbell Blackie Books in partnership with his publisher Blackie which has now been sold to Macmillan Publishers. He has returned to reside in Britian after growing up in Zimbabwe. Other than that, I really could not get much, nor did I have the time to research deeply into the matter because of my other pressing work at hand, but it did not matter. Rod Campbell’s book ‘Dear Zoo’ is a winner and with its minimalistic but beautiful illustrations and with the thrill of the ‘lift-the-flap’, the book makes for some really great reading and storytelling.
I was thrilled myself every time I lifted the various flaps to reveal many denizens of the jungle housed in a British zoo in the 1980s. I especially loved the premise that a child was writing a series of quirky letters to the local zoo asking for a pet and that the zoo was responding to the child by sending the animals in huge crates, cages, boxes, etc. This is because it can teach younger PYP readers about the way innocent and helpless animals were trafficked and exported like ‘raw materials or economic goods’ in claustrophobic boxes or crates during the 1980s and even before in the previous decades until towards the beginning of the 1990s stringent international measures for animal protection rights came along. And thank God those rules came along!
It can really educate a PYP student about the abuses met to these poor animals in crates while in captivity and how they were sold to eccentric individuals or circus ringmasters, zookeepers, millionaires, etc., for a variety of purposes that was finally put a stop to and hopefully all this should not happen again. In the hands of a great storyteller PYP IB or IGCSE teacher, the story can come alive with the students learning about the various animals in these crates, their various characteristics, and especially about the sounds made by these lovely creatures. Thankfully, they were all sent back to the Zoo and then sense dawned at the end of the tale and the child was gifted something else that you can check out for yourself by reading Rod Campbell’s ‘Dear Zoo’.
I found the book to be ingenious, simplistic but effective, evergreen, thrilling and simply lovely! I took the opportunity of even presenting the book to my PGCITE colleagues and professor at my college at Podar International School, Santacruz. I loved it that much. I presented it along with Dr. Seuss’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ which is another one of my all-time kiddie favourites.
Obviously, Rod Campbell gets 5 stars from me and I hope to read more of his ‘Dear Zoo and Friends’ series in the near future if I get the time and opportunity to do so. Kudos!
Rod Campbell seems like a very unassuming man, because I could find hardly any information about him on the internet, and I am quite good at researching about people famous or infamous or otherwise! Yet all I could gain about the creator of ‘Dear Zoo’ was that he has a doctorate in Organic Chemistry and that his lift-the-flap book ‘Dear Zoo’ has sold around 2 million copies worldwide since its initial publication in the year 1982, even before I was born!
He is the founder of Campbell Blackie Books in partnership with his publisher Blackie which has now been sold to Macmillan Publishers. He has returned to reside in Britian after growing up in Zimbabwe. Other than that, I really could not get much, nor did I have the time to research deeply into the matter because of my other pressing work at hand, but it did not matter. Rod Campbell’s book ‘Dear Zoo’ is a winner and with its minimalistic but beautiful illustrations and with the thrill of the ‘lift-the-flap’, the book makes for some really great reading and storytelling.
I was thrilled myself every time I lifted the various flaps to reveal many denizens of the jungle housed in a British zoo in the 1980s. I especially loved the premise that a child was writing a series of quirky letters to the local zoo asking for a pet and that the zoo was responding to the child by sending the animals in huge crates, cages, boxes, etc. This is because it can teach younger PYP readers about the way innocent and helpless animals were trafficked and exported like ‘raw materials or economic goods’ in claustrophobic boxes or crates during the 1980s and even before in the previous decades until towards the beginning of the 1990s stringent international measures for animal protection rights came along. And thank God those rules came along!
It can really educate a PYP student about the abuses met to these poor animals in crates while in captivity and how they were sold to eccentric individuals or circus ringmasters, zookeepers, millionaires, etc., for a variety of purposes that was finally put a stop to and hopefully all this should not happen again. In the hands of a great storyteller PYP IB or IGCSE teacher, the story can come alive with the students learning about the various animals in these crates, their various characteristics, and especially about the sounds made by these lovely creatures. Thankfully, they were all sent back to the Zoo and then sense dawned at the end of the tale and the child was gifted something else that you can check out for yourself by reading Rod Campbell’s ‘Dear Zoo’.
I found the book to be ingenious, simplistic but effective, evergreen, thrilling and simply lovely! I took the opportunity of even presenting the book to my PGCITE colleagues and professor at my college at Podar International School, Santacruz. I loved it that much. I presented it along with Dr. Seuss’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ which is another one of my all-time kiddie favourites.
Obviously, Rod Campbell gets 5 stars from me and I hope to read more of his ‘Dear Zoo and Friends’ series in the near future if I get the time and opportunity to do so. Kudos!
September 28, 2021
Another favourite from my childhood.
A nice interaction tale with various flaps as parents are able to teach children the different animals that can be found at the zoo.
Hours of fun!
A nice interaction tale with various flaps as parents are able to teach children the different animals that can be found at the zoo.
Hours of fun!
August 24, 2015
This is just the bestest Lift-a-Flap book evah!
This kid writes to the zoo, because they want a pet...
Hilarity ensues as the crates start arriving, and the kid ends up having to send the animals back.
They get a giraffe.
A lion.
A snake.
A camel.
A frog.
A puppy.
There are probably a few animals that I've forgotten about, but you get the gist. Each are in a crate/cage/box/basket, and you get to Lift-the-Flaps.
Total fun, and one of my kids' favorite books.
This kid writes to the zoo, because they want a pet...
Hilarity ensues as the crates start arriving, and the kid ends up having to send the animals back.
They get a giraffe.
A lion.
A snake.
A camel.
A frog.
A puppy.
There are probably a few animals that I've forgotten about, but you get the gist. Each are in a crate/cage/box/basket, and you get to Lift-the-Flaps.
Total fun, and one of my kids' favorite books.
October 1, 2021
Classic favourite. This book is everywhere, and you’ll always catch it in other languages in public libraries too.
May 2, 2020
“Dear Zoo” was written as a lift-the-flap board book in 1982, by the Scottish author, Rod Campbell. It is his most famous work, and thirty-five years later, it is still tremendously popular among the under fives in Great Britain, and has been translated into more than a dozen different languages.
This review is for Dear Zoo: Noisy Book, which I think is the best of all the many versions and formats. It begins:
“I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet. They sent me an …”
and just as in the original book, the opposite page shows a mysterious “something”, hidden in a crate.
Lift the flap, and we see … an elephant! And the words:
“He was too big! I sent him back.”
But this book has a delightful extra feature. It is a “noisy” book! And I can assure you (because I’ve done this myself) that if you accidentally sit on it, you will find that it might trumpet at you, or chatter like a monkey, or even (and this is a bit scary if you’re not expecting it!) even hiss like a snake!
The sounds are operated by a series of 8 colour-coded buttons, each with a picture of the appropriate animal. A simple instruction to press the button is underneath the main text each time. The ladder of buttons is set into a raised platform down the right hand side of the book. It stands proud throughout the read as the pages are turned, and lies flush with the padded cover when the book is closed.
The story goes through seven animals in turn. After the elephant comes a giraffe (“press the giraffe button to hear the giraffe munching”) who was “too tall”. The lion was too fierce, the camel too grumpy, the snake too scary, the monkey too naughty, the frog too jumpy … Each time the reason for returning the animal is different, and the words of the instruction are also slightly different (eg. “grumpy” and “grumbling”; “jumpy” and “croaking”. The buttons are not in the same order as the pictures in the book either, so the child has to think, and look carefully to choose the right one.
The final picture is a lovely surprise, as the zoo thought very hard and:
“sent me a …” and in the container is hidden a .
“He was perfect! I kept him.”
There are two more pages reprising the information, with a simple question about each pictured animal, and ending enticingly:
“Let’s hear it again!”
When he originally wrote this book, Rod Campbell had been inspired by seeing other early lift-the-flap books, such as “Spot the Dog”, and had been designing and creating innovative books with interactive elements and repetitive phrases since 1980. But he wanted to incorporate the flaps so that they would be an intrinsic part of the story. As a child he lived in Zimbabwe, before returning to Britain to complete his education (taking his doctorate in organic chemistry). This led him to think about explorers many years ago, who would send animals to zoos in crates, and this sparked his light-bulb moment. Each flap would be a crate or container of some sort, holding a different animal. (Of course some children may need to be told that animals are not delivered like this nowadays, nor by the postman in the ordinary mail!)
There is a lot of merchandise and many spin offs from “Dear Zoo”. For the very youngest children, “Dear Zoo: Animal Shapes” is a sturdy board book. “Dear Zoo: Buggy buddy” is also suitable for very young children. It has a handy strap which can be attached to a buggy, or a child’s cot. There is a colouring book, where children find the animals hiding beneath the flaps and colour them in, and an activity book, including 40 stickers. A “Spin and Say” book includes a wheel with a pointer to all the different animals. There is even a Christmas title, called “Dear Santa”, which follows the same format, with different gifts from Santa hidden under the flaps.
However the Dear Zoo: Noisy book is well nigh perfect. It includes the fun element of flaps, teaches both the names of the animals and how to identify them. It invites questions such as: “How big is the crate?” and “What sort of animal might fit inside there?” It uses language with simple repetition, but also creatively. It has clear, attractive and humorous line drawings in bold colours.
But best of all, it plays a few seconds’ recording of the actual animal sounds. It really is very exciting to read and play with, and I’m beginning to wish I didn’t have to give it away to the child I bought it for this Christmas …
This review is for Dear Zoo: Noisy Book, which I think is the best of all the many versions and formats. It begins:
“I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet. They sent me an …”
and just as in the original book, the opposite page shows a mysterious “something”, hidden in a crate.
Lift the flap, and we see … an elephant! And the words:
“He was too big! I sent him back.”
But this book has a delightful extra feature. It is a “noisy” book! And I can assure you (because I’ve done this myself) that if you accidentally sit on it, you will find that it might trumpet at you, or chatter like a monkey, or even (and this is a bit scary if you’re not expecting it!) even hiss like a snake!
The sounds are operated by a series of 8 colour-coded buttons, each with a picture of the appropriate animal. A simple instruction to press the button is underneath the main text each time. The ladder of buttons is set into a raised platform down the right hand side of the book. It stands proud throughout the read as the pages are turned, and lies flush with the padded cover when the book is closed.
The story goes through seven animals in turn. After the elephant comes a giraffe (“press the giraffe button to hear the giraffe munching”) who was “too tall”. The lion was too fierce, the camel too grumpy, the snake too scary, the monkey too naughty, the frog too jumpy … Each time the reason for returning the animal is different, and the words of the instruction are also slightly different (eg. “grumpy” and “grumbling”; “jumpy” and “croaking”. The buttons are not in the same order as the pictures in the book either, so the child has to think, and look carefully to choose the right one.
The final picture is a lovely surprise, as the zoo thought very hard and:
“sent me a …” and in the container is hidden a .
“He was perfect! I kept him.”
There are two more pages reprising the information, with a simple question about each pictured animal, and ending enticingly:
“Let’s hear it again!”
When he originally wrote this book, Rod Campbell had been inspired by seeing other early lift-the-flap books, such as “Spot the Dog”, and had been designing and creating innovative books with interactive elements and repetitive phrases since 1980. But he wanted to incorporate the flaps so that they would be an intrinsic part of the story. As a child he lived in Zimbabwe, before returning to Britain to complete his education (taking his doctorate in organic chemistry). This led him to think about explorers many years ago, who would send animals to zoos in crates, and this sparked his light-bulb moment. Each flap would be a crate or container of some sort, holding a different animal. (Of course some children may need to be told that animals are not delivered like this nowadays, nor by the postman in the ordinary mail!)
There is a lot of merchandise and many spin offs from “Dear Zoo”. For the very youngest children, “Dear Zoo: Animal Shapes” is a sturdy board book. “Dear Zoo: Buggy buddy” is also suitable for very young children. It has a handy strap which can be attached to a buggy, or a child’s cot. There is a colouring book, where children find the animals hiding beneath the flaps and colour them in, and an activity book, including 40 stickers. A “Spin and Say” book includes a wheel with a pointer to all the different animals. There is even a Christmas title, called “Dear Santa”, which follows the same format, with different gifts from Santa hidden under the flaps.
However the Dear Zoo: Noisy book is well nigh perfect. It includes the fun element of flaps, teaches both the names of the animals and how to identify them. It invites questions such as: “How big is the crate?” and “What sort of animal might fit inside there?” It uses language with simple repetition, but also creatively. It has clear, attractive and humorous line drawings in bold colours.
But best of all, it plays a few seconds’ recording of the actual animal sounds. It really is very exciting to read and play with, and I’m beginning to wish I didn’t have to give it away to the child I bought it for this Christmas …
September 24, 2017
I can't believe this was a new book when I first read to my children 25 years ago-they were babies! How fast time goes.
I remember this book as being great fun. They both loved it.
I remember this book as being great fun. They both loved it.
October 20, 2017
My 2-year old niece will probably love this one.
July 21, 2022
This was a great little story and book. I loved how it was so simple yet so funny. Great way to entertain a child.
January 25, 2016
I've got a sticker on the back of my car that says "Dogs are for life, not just for Christmas" (What?!?! Ok, I'm one of those smug animal lovers who have naff, self righteous car stickers. And I couldn't say no to the animal charity where I got my dog from, when they asked me to stick it on my rear screen window.).
Regardless. Is it a bit hypocritical of me to be endorsing this book, based on my ethical beliefs that animals are not toys to be swapped, sold on, imprisoned or treated as inanimate objects, blah, blah, blah. Am I delivering a dark, subconscious message of irresponsibility to my child when I read her this?
But my daughter really loves this book. And my husband told me to lighten up, get off my high horse and "it's only a kids' book. Don't worry about it." So maybe the lift up flaps are great. And how lovely it would be to have a zoo keep sending you animals on demand. Yeah, ok, it's a fab book.
Anyway, if you think this review's uptight, wait til you read what I wrote for "We're going on a Bear Hunt".
Regardless. Is it a bit hypocritical of me to be endorsing this book, based on my ethical beliefs that animals are not toys to be swapped, sold on, imprisoned or treated as inanimate objects, blah, blah, blah. Am I delivering a dark, subconscious message of irresponsibility to my child when I read her this?
But my daughter really loves this book. And my husband told me to lighten up, get off my high horse and "it's only a kids' book. Don't worry about it." So maybe the lift up flaps are great. And how lovely it would be to have a zoo keep sending you animals on demand. Yeah, ok, it's a fab book.
Anyway, if you think this review's uptight, wait til you read what I wrote for "We're going on a Bear Hunt".
November 23, 2016
CƯNG HẾT CHỖ NÓI!
Lần đầu tớ tận mục sở thị cuốn này là ở nhà sách Phương Nam. Thử một hai trang đầu, chúng tớ thấy thích quá thế là tớ quyết định... gập lại để về trên kệ luôn. Má ôi! Thân gửi Sở thú với tớ lúc ấy như món ngon phải để dành ăn vào thời điểm thích hợp, ăn một mình, ăn ngay, ăn trọn, ăn từ từ, ăn không ngừng nghỉ. Tớ phải canh me trên Tiki đợt Hội sách Online rồi mới được thỏa mãn cách đây đôi ba hôm gì á.
Đây là điển hình của kiểu sách nhõn vài chữ nên phải đọc từ trang cuối quay lại trang đầu liên hồi kỳ trận mới đã các mẹ ạ. Tớ. Con gái tớ. Tớ biết đọc rồi (dĩ nhiên) nên tớ mê lật hình hơn và cho phép mình chỉ lật hình thôi. Con gái tớ cũng biết đọc rồi (sơ sơ) nên nàng ta sau một lượt đọc là trốn luôn chỉ lật hình và (đương nhiên) bị phạt phải đọc thêm cả chữ. Bù vào, nàng ta cho phép mình lật mỗi hình như vậy hai lần, hí hí...
Kiểu sách thế này trước đây tớ có gặp qua ở quyển Có vòi không phải con voi trong bộ Câu đố dân gian cho bé của Nhã Nam. (Tất nhiên là Sở thú ra đời trước - theo thông tin trên sách là năm 1982 - nhưng xét theo thời gian xuất bản ở Việt Nam lẫn thời điểm tớ gặp gỡ thì Sở thú vẫn cứ không phải quyển đầu tiên.) Tuy đến sau nhưng Sở thú có thân hình mũm mĩm hơn, nước da bóng bẩy hơn, trang điểm (ý là minh họa đó mà, í hị...) lộng lẫy hơn và mặt nạ (ý là hình lật) bí ẩn hơn. Vậy nên tớ yêu Sở thú.
Ngoài dùng để xem tranh và học đọc (tốt với các bé lớp một, vì có rất nhiều từ và câu được lặp lại), quyển này còn có thể kết hợp chơi ghép tính từ nào với con vật nào. Thôi thì tớ nhớ kém nên tớ đố và con gái tớ trả lời. Đến lượt nàng ta muốn đổi vai thế là tớ trố mắt lên: "Thôi, đọc xong rồi, cất sách đi con."
Thật là cảm ơn tác giả kiêm họa sĩ Rod Campbell và quý nhà đồng xuất bản đã đem đến cho chúng tớ một quyển sách cưng hết phần các quyển khác. Chúng tớ đã có những giây phút rất rất vui. Rút kinh nghiệm bộ Thư viện song ngữ đầu tiên đã ruột bìa mỗi cái một đằng sau khi... được tắm, tớ sẽ cố gắng bảo quản tốt quyển sách này thêm vài năm nữa để con gái thứ hai của tớ cũng sẽ có những kỷ niệm tuyệt vời như mẹ và chị hai.
Lần đầu tớ tận mục sở thị cuốn này là ở nhà sách Phương Nam. Thử một hai trang đầu, chúng tớ thấy thích quá thế là tớ quyết định... gập lại để về trên kệ luôn. Má ôi! Thân gửi Sở thú với tớ lúc ấy như món ngon phải để dành ăn vào thời điểm thích hợp, ăn một mình, ăn ngay, ăn trọn, ăn từ từ, ăn không ngừng nghỉ. Tớ phải canh me trên Tiki đợt Hội sách Online rồi mới được thỏa mãn cách đây đôi ba hôm gì á.
Đây là điển hình của kiểu sách nhõn vài chữ nên phải đọc từ trang cuối quay lại trang đầu liên hồi kỳ trận mới đã các mẹ ạ. Tớ. Con gái tớ. Tớ biết đọc rồi (dĩ nhiên) nên tớ mê lật hình hơn và cho phép mình chỉ lật hình thôi. Con gái tớ cũng biết đọc rồi (sơ sơ) nên nàng ta sau một lượt đọc là trốn luôn chỉ lật hình và (đương nhiên) bị phạt phải đọc thêm cả chữ. Bù vào, nàng ta cho phép mình lật mỗi hình như vậy hai lần, hí hí...
Kiểu sách thế này trước đây tớ có gặp qua ở quyển Có vòi không phải con voi trong bộ Câu đố dân gian cho bé của Nhã Nam. (Tất nhiên là Sở thú ra đời trước - theo thông tin trên sách là năm 1982 - nhưng xét theo thời gian xuất bản ở Việt Nam lẫn thời điểm tớ gặp gỡ thì Sở thú vẫn cứ không phải quyển đầu tiên.) Tuy đến sau nhưng Sở thú có thân hình mũm mĩm hơn, nước da bóng bẩy hơn, trang điểm (ý là minh họa đó mà, í hị...) lộng lẫy hơn và mặt nạ (ý là hình lật) bí ẩn hơn. Vậy nên tớ yêu Sở thú.
Ngoài dùng để xem tranh và học đọc (tốt với các bé lớp một, vì có rất nhiều từ và câu được lặp lại), quyển này còn có thể kết hợp chơi ghép tính từ nào với con vật nào. Thôi thì tớ nhớ kém nên tớ đố và con gái tớ trả lời. Đến lượt nàng ta muốn đổi vai thế là tớ trố mắt lên: "Thôi, đọc xong rồi, cất sách đi con."
Thật là cảm ơn tác giả kiêm họa sĩ Rod Campbell và quý nhà đồng xuất bản đã đem đến cho chúng tớ một quyển sách cưng hết phần các quyển khác. Chúng tớ đã có những giây phút rất rất vui. Rút kinh nghiệm bộ Thư viện song ngữ đầu tiên đã ruột bìa mỗi cái một đằng sau khi... được tắm, tớ sẽ cố gắng bảo quản tốt quyển sách này thêm vài năm nữa để con gái thứ hai của tớ cũng sẽ có những kỷ niệm tuyệt vời như mẹ và chị hai.
November 24, 2014
I borrowed the words from this book and set the book aside for parents to look at and/or check out. Its much more fun when you're "reading" this with babies and toddlers and using something fun, furry and soft.
When I "read" it, I had a box marked "From the Zoo" (as if the kids could read it) and I would just say the same line over and over again:
"I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet..." (That's a direct quote from the book) and then I'd pull out a different puppet from the box and bring it to life for a few seconds. It was fun to have the parents and talking kids chant the line over and over with me. And it was even more fun to see the children's excitement when a "live" animal came out of the box. Priceless.
Another librarian I know, "read" this one a different way. She collected a bunch of small boxes and made them look they came in the mail, then she put animal fingerpuppets inside. During the program each kid got to pick a box from the mailbag and they said the quote from the book and then opened the box...SURPRISE! There's an elephant inside!
Totally fun.
c
When I "read" it, I had a box marked "From the Zoo" (as if the kids could read it) and I would just say the same line over and over again:
"I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet..." (That's a direct quote from the book) and then I'd pull out a different puppet from the box and bring it to life for a few seconds. It was fun to have the parents and talking kids chant the line over and over with me. And it was even more fun to see the children's excitement when a "live" animal came out of the box. Priceless.
Another librarian I know, "read" this one a different way. She collected a bunch of small boxes and made them look they came in the mail, then she put animal fingerpuppets inside. During the program each kid got to pick a box from the mailbag and they said the quote from the book and then opened the box...SURPRISE! There's an elephant inside!
Totally fun.
c
November 17, 2019
Good book, but be aware that you'll wind up buying the whole zoo! This book led to all manner of other books about cats, dogs, penguins, and who knows what else. We now have quite the menagerie of literature. A very clever concept by the author (if there is one defining animal, I would say it's a cash cow!), but very enjoyable for a little one all the same, so worth the investment.
January 14, 2018
My Grandchildren loved this book. Really entertaining read that children enjoy.
October 7, 2024
Look if I have to read this every night for the next 3 years I’m going to make it count. 10/10, my baby giggles and tries to rip the flaps every time. 😌
May 18, 2018
Probably the toddler's favorite. He likes to make the animal sounds (on a related note - anyone know what sound a giraffe makes?). The 6 year old also enjoys reading it to him, so it might be my favorite book as well.
January 15, 2011
I am not a fan of this book, primarily because all of the animal pronouns are male. That's just a ridiculous simple fix that should have been made with the re-issue.
June 6, 2024
I was hoping for more of a challenge, but ultimately I was left a bit disappointed. I’ll admit the elephant caught me off guard, but most of the animals were rather obvious — I mean, you could see the giraffe’s head sticking out of the box before you even open the little flap on page 2.
The lack of plot also knocked this down a few points in my book. Most of the pages were just questions about what animal was in the box, and I didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters. The pictures were nice though, especially the lion. I would be open to reading other books by this author.
The lack of plot also knocked this down a few points in my book. Most of the pages were just questions about what animal was in the box, and I didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters. The pictures were nice though, especially the lion. I would be open to reading other books by this author.
April 2, 2024
I’m not sure why the zoo would go through such a rigmarole for a random person requesting a pet, but nevertheless it’s a classic. Lots of opportunities to open and close, and to learn about animals and their characteristics on the quest for the perfect pet.
September 24, 2025
Look this book is basically perfect. But come on, I told the zoo the elephant was tooooo BIG and what do they do? They send me a giraffe!! As if he’s going to fit in my house when the elephant didn’t. Totally took me out of the book
September 7, 2012
Book Review 3
Rod Campbell
Dear Zoo
This story is a fun introduction to animals and their characteristics. It is written in the first person, with repetitive sentences. The nature of repetitiveness enables young readers to predict and engage with the story.
The story is written as a letter to a zoo asking them to send a pet to the reader. Each page has a flap which carefully hides the animal sent from the zoo and a written clue for example, ‘heavy’ or ‘danger’ on the animal’s container. At the end of each page there is a simple reason why the animal was not kept and the sentence, ‘I sent him back’. After a variety of animals have been sent and returned to the zoo for being unsuitable, the zoo carefully contemplates what animal would be best and send a dog, which is kept because it is ‘perfect’.
The story enables children to identify what animals live in a zoo and raises questions about the characteristics of animals and their suitability as pets. The story can prompt discussion on pets the children may have or would like. This story is probably best suited for young children and can be used individually or in a small group or whole class reading.
Rod Campbell
Dear Zoo
This story is a fun introduction to animals and their characteristics. It is written in the first person, with repetitive sentences. The nature of repetitiveness enables young readers to predict and engage with the story.
The story is written as a letter to a zoo asking them to send a pet to the reader. Each page has a flap which carefully hides the animal sent from the zoo and a written clue for example, ‘heavy’ or ‘danger’ on the animal’s container. At the end of each page there is a simple reason why the animal was not kept and the sentence, ‘I sent him back’. After a variety of animals have been sent and returned to the zoo for being unsuitable, the zoo carefully contemplates what animal would be best and send a dog, which is kept because it is ‘perfect’.
The story enables children to identify what animals live in a zoo and raises questions about the characteristics of animals and their suitability as pets. The story can prompt discussion on pets the children may have or would like. This story is probably best suited for young children and can be used individually or in a small group or whole class reading.
January 21, 2012
The book ‘Dear Zoo’ by Rod Campbell was a favourite amongst the children at my nursery. It’s a story about a child who writes to the zoo asking for a pet, and receives a number of unsuitable animals from them. The children at my nursery really loved the interactive ‘lift the flap’ element and would ask for this book to be read to them again and again. After memorising the entire story they would then be reading it back to me!
It was a great way to build children’s knowledge and understanding of the world, by making links with animals, their names and their characteristics. It was also really enjoyed by the EAL children in the nursery, as many of them already knew the animal’s names and joined in with the sounds these animals make. Also the repetitiveness of the story makes it easier for all children to join in. After seeing firsthand how well children engage with this book, I would have to recommend it to anyone teaching the EYFS.
It was a great way to build children’s knowledge and understanding of the world, by making links with animals, their names and their characteristics. It was also really enjoyed by the EAL children in the nursery, as many of them already knew the animal’s names and joined in with the sounds these animals make. Also the repetitiveness of the story makes it easier for all children to join in. After seeing firsthand how well children engage with this book, I would have to recommend it to anyone teaching the EYFS.
April 28, 2012
This is a fun and interactive book, children will enjoy lifting the flaps. It describes they animals and explains why they would not be a suitable pet. This teaches children about the difference between wild animals and pets.
Children can guess what animals they think will be behind the flap and explain why, which encourages verbal reasoning. The book provides ample opportunity for discussion the children can talk about what animal they would like as a pet. The children will be asked to explain what they think would happen if the kept a wild animal as a pet. They can also talk about where wild animals are kept.
The children can engage in role play and pretend to be the animals. With slightly older children they can think about how it would feel to be a cage/box etc this can be done through role play and discussion. Citizenship- Children can think about the advantages and disadvantages of living in the wild.
Children can guess what animals they think will be behind the flap and explain why, which encourages verbal reasoning. The book provides ample opportunity for discussion the children can talk about what animal they would like as a pet. The children will be asked to explain what they think would happen if the kept a wild animal as a pet. They can also talk about where wild animals are kept.
The children can engage in role play and pretend to be the animals. With slightly older children they can think about how it would feel to be a cage/box etc this can be done through role play and discussion. Citizenship- Children can think about the advantages and disadvantages of living in the wild.
April 22, 2018
This book is legit and I have been really into it lately—a surprise and a delight on every page. But I must admit that I’m a little confused by the premise. A kid writes to the zoo to ask for a pet? Can you do that? And the lack of specificity in the kid’s request leads to the zoo wasting what I can only imagine is an astronomical amount of money on postage. (I don’t imagine you can ship elephants and the like for, like, less than twenty bucks.) I’m only sixteen months old and I don’t claim to know how the world works, though. The flaps are rad and that’s enough for me. -M
August 3, 2018
There is a reason this book has been in print for some 25 years and counting. It captures perfectly what occurs in any family whenever a kid decides that they want a pet. This kid goes a little over board but hat makes the book even more heartwarming. The flaps are also great for little hands as they discover the surprises beneath.
Find Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book at the Westminster Public Library!
Find Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book at the Westminster Public Library!
January 13, 2021
There are certain board books I bought for my girls that I just haven't been able to part with. I'm glad I decided to keep this one as they are learning to read. Repetition is a key component in early reading and this combines that with fun. Who doesn't love describing zoo animals when you're little?? Add the sweet little flaps to reveal each animal and you have reading magic for little people.
October 19, 2016
Cute little book and my children love opening the flaps and shouting out the animal names.
Read
April 3, 2024This brightened my day so you best believe I’m logging it
January 26, 2025
A favorite of mine as a kid and it still holds up! Nice and simple for 1- or 2-year-olds.
May 1, 2024
Wish it were longer!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 888 reviews