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Pssst
A child, a visit to the zoo, animals--sounds like good, simple all-American fun. But there’s something different about this zoo. These animals want things. Unusual things. What will they do with them? Laughs, jokes, and surprises abound in this graphic picture book about a feisty, all-too-helpful little girl and her role in aiding and abetting zoo-animal shenanigans. Adam Rex once again reveals the hilarious hidden life of creatures we thought we knew well. (09/10/2007)
Library Binding
First published September 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
About the author
Adam Rex
92 books775 followersAdam Rex grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, the middle of three children. He was neither the smart one (older brother) or the cute one (younger sister), but he was the one who could draw. He took a lot of art classes as a kid, trying to learn to draw better, and started painting when he was 11. And later in life he was drawn down to Tucson in order to hone his skills, get a BFA from the University of Arizona, and meet his physicist wife Marie (who is both the smart and cute one).
Adam is nearsighted, bad at all sports, learning to play the theremin, and usually in need of a shave. He can carry a tune, if you don't mind the tune getting dropped and stepped on occasionally. He never remembers anyone's name until he's heard it at least three times. He likes animals, spacemen, Mexican food, Ethiopian food, monsters, puppets, comic books, 19th century art, skeletons, bugs, and robots.
Garlic and crosses are useless against Adam. Sunlight has been shown to be at least moderately effective. A silver bullet does the trick. Pretty much any bullet, really.
Adam is nearsighted, bad at all sports, learning to play the theremin, and usually in need of a shave. He can carry a tune, if you don't mind the tune getting dropped and stepped on occasionally. He never remembers anyone's name until he's heard it at least three times. He likes animals, spacemen, Mexican food, Ethiopian food, monsters, puppets, comic books, 19th century art, skeletons, bugs, and robots.
Garlic and crosses are useless against Adam. Sunlight has been shown to be at least moderately effective. A silver bullet does the trick. Pretty much any bullet, really.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
June 14, 2018
So. Funny story. Someone recommended this to me as a unique comic or graphic novel involving animals. Welllll... it turned out to be a very short small children’s book! Honestly though, it is in “comic” format, and the story is short but sweet and actually made me LOL in a few places (like legitimately laugh. Out. Loud! Haha)... but besides that it is just a fun, imaginative little (very) short story that I genuinely enjoyed! I’m not sure how to star rate a children’s book so 🤷🏼♀️. But it really was great 👍🏻
October 12, 2008
This is the best kid's book I've seen in a loooong time. A little girl has to help a bunch of animals at a zoo with random tasks, which sounds totally lame and sanitized, but that's sort of the point. Her exchanges with the animals get weirder and weirder as they go along, and the climax of the story made my girlfriend's eyes bug out of her head and she talked about it for the next half hour.
The main animals are painted beautifully, and the rest of the zoo is sketched out with random sight gags, sort of like old MAD magazines. There's also a keen grasp of what makes dialogue work, which is sort of an unheard-of skill in children's books. Very funny and smart.
This book is published by Harcourt, which does all of the current Edward Gorey hardcover reprints. I say this not because it's totally relevant, but it might give this book a little more street cred for those of you still on the fence about wandering into the children's section at B&N to give it a look.
The main animals are painted beautifully, and the rest of the zoo is sketched out with random sight gags, sort of like old MAD magazines. There's also a keen grasp of what makes dialogue work, which is sort of an unheard-of skill in children's books. Very funny and smart.
This book is published by Harcourt, which does all of the current Edward Gorey hardcover reprints. I say this not because it's totally relevant, but it might give this book a little more street cred for those of you still on the fence about wandering into the children's section at B&N to give it a look.
September 29, 2009
3.5 STARS. This is a fun, imaginative story about a child (girl? I know there has been debate on the somewhat androgynous artwork; I do think it's a girl, notice the barrettes (?) in the hair???) who visits a very unusual zoo. Or, perhaps, she is the unusual one? In any case, she soon discovers that the animals can communicate with her, and they ask her to collect all sorts of odd items for seemingly individual purposes--or could there be a more communal effort in the works??? The illustrations are quite funny, although not exactly my favorite style, and you have to look closely to pick up on some of the clever jokes contained therein. I think kids would especially love this hilarious book and the "Oh, just kidding!" elements when one thinks the story is going one place, only to switch over to another element.
I think my favorite part was actually the amusing author bio on the back flap--SO creative! ;-p Thanks to Chandra for bringing this to my attention.
I think my favorite part was actually the amusing author bio on the back flap--SO creative! ;-p Thanks to Chandra for bringing this to my attention.
February 17, 2020
A young girl wanders through the zoo, waylaid by a series of animals, each hailing her with a surreptitious "Pssst!," each with an odd request. From the penguins who want paint, to the sloths who want helmets, the items requested seem to make no sense, adding to the feeling of being in some surreal alternate world. Of course, the animals do have a plan, in this comic-book style story, and young readers will enjoy seeing it revealed.
Recommended by a few of my online friends, Pssst! was an entertaining storybook, full of that slightly bent humor I have come to expect from Adam Rex! I have to confess that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I expected to (I'm not really sure why), but the wealth of amusing details - the droll signs throughout the zoo, the author's note on the colophon, in which he informs the reader that "This page has been intentionally left humor-free" - made the overall experience worthwhile. Definitely recommended to all Adam Rex fans, and to any young reader who likes silly stories!
Recommended by a few of my online friends, Pssst! was an entertaining storybook, full of that slightly bent humor I have come to expect from Adam Rex! I have to confess that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I expected to (I'm not really sure why), but the wealth of amusing details - the droll signs throughout the zoo, the author's note on the colophon, in which he informs the reader that "This page has been intentionally left humor-free" - made the overall experience worthwhile. Definitely recommended to all Adam Rex fans, and to any young reader who likes silly stories!
October 27, 2016
What Adam Rex can do with fonts blows my mind. Anyone with any interest in graphic design should read this book immediately. Also, this a really good story! A girl's trip to the zoo is continually interrupted by animals asking if she'll procure items for them on the sly. She agrees, to be helpful, because they all have such reasonable explanations of why they need flashlights, trash cans, bicycle helmets... or do they? I've rarely seen my husband laugh so much at a kids' book.
May 28, 2021
This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf. The Reviewers seemed to run correctly last week, but didn't run this week at all, and the Readers list hasn't been fixed at all. I guess algorithm don't care. Looking at the beta pages, algorithm loves stars.
27 May 2021
Let me mention again, just in case you didn't catch the other reviews of some of his many books: Always read all the print in a Rex book. The signs, the map, the copyright. Fun for kids, but fun for adults, which is more important, because kids have underdeveloped taste, and some of the things they choose are appalling. You'll forget the details of those, thankfully, by the time they graduate from college or so. Definitely seize opportunities to give them good books that make you laugh. Otherwise they won't be recommending quality books to you a few years on.
***
19 May 2009
Adam Rex holds up well to repeated reading. With the picture books we always notice something new in the art.
***
11 Feb 2008
Very funny. This and Tree-Ring Circus are the best for the youngest kids, while the Frankenstein books require a little more interest in words and more context.
Library copy
27 May 2021
Let me mention again, just in case you didn't catch the other reviews of some of his many books: Always read all the print in a Rex book. The signs, the map, the copyright. Fun for kids, but fun for adults, which is more important, because kids have underdeveloped taste, and some of the things they choose are appalling. You'll forget the details of those, thankfully, by the time they graduate from college or so. Definitely seize opportunities to give them good books that make you laugh. Otherwise they won't be recommending quality books to you a few years on.
***
19 May 2009
Adam Rex holds up well to repeated reading. With the picture books we always notice something new in the art.
***
11 Feb 2008
Very funny. This and Tree-Ring Circus are the best for the youngest kids, while the Frankenstein books require a little more interest in words and more context.
Library copy
July 7, 2011
Boys like noise. It's a generalization, but when I hear loud tractor noises, block banging and Hot Wheels traffic jams coming from the kindergarten, it's more often Billy than Sally who is conducting the orchestral din. Walk by a construction site and survey who has stopped to watch the cranes and jackhammers disturbing the peaceful horn-honking urban landscape. Guys, I'll bet. (I wonder if anyone has studied horn honking. Wouldn't be surprised if there is a clear gender gap.)
So think of the word psst. This nifty interjection is supposed to subtly get someone's attention. Try to whisper it. The sound is greater than one might think. (Of course, that's how it gets attention.) It's a funny word—all noise, no vowels. Plop it repeatedly into a picture book and even the most distracted listener will keep coming back to the text and pictures. Genius, really.
Adam Rex has more than the frequent use of a noisy word in his favour in Pssst! (He adds an extra s, presumably inviting the reader to use more expression.) This engaging tale is about a youngster's trip to the zoo, during which animal after animal gets her attention. (The child is androgynously drawn and unnamed. There is a plain hair clip and a pinkish backpack, but the sporty attire and short hair may help both boys and girls readily identify with the main character.)
Pssst! "Could you get me a tire?" asks the gorilla. Gorillas like to swing, you know. The bats want flashlights. The odd requests continue. The book takes a surprising, delightful turn once the animals receive their desired items.
Boys and girls will be hooked on this book. Once they know how it ends, they'll want to hear or read the story again and again, switching from the mind of the zoo visitor to the thinking of each of the animals. It's a worthy addition to a children's book collection. Stop by your local bookstore and find it. Get the staff person to help you find (or order) it. You know how to get his/her attention. It's a fun word. Use it.
To read more of my reviews, go to http://boyzread.blogspot.com/. Comments are always welcome!
So think of the word psst. This nifty interjection is supposed to subtly get someone's attention. Try to whisper it. The sound is greater than one might think. (Of course, that's how it gets attention.) It's a funny word—all noise, no vowels. Plop it repeatedly into a picture book and even the most distracted listener will keep coming back to the text and pictures. Genius, really.
Adam Rex has more than the frequent use of a noisy word in his favour in Pssst! (He adds an extra s, presumably inviting the reader to use more expression.) This engaging tale is about a youngster's trip to the zoo, during which animal after animal gets her attention. (The child is androgynously drawn and unnamed. There is a plain hair clip and a pinkish backpack, but the sporty attire and short hair may help both boys and girls readily identify with the main character.)
Pssst! "Could you get me a tire?" asks the gorilla. Gorillas like to swing, you know. The bats want flashlights. The odd requests continue. The book takes a surprising, delightful turn once the animals receive their desired items.
Boys and girls will be hooked on this book. Once they know how it ends, they'll want to hear or read the story again and again, switching from the mind of the zoo visitor to the thinking of each of the animals. It's a worthy addition to a children's book collection. Stop by your local bookstore and find it. Get the staff person to help you find (or order) it. You know how to get his/her attention. It's a fun word. Use it.
To read more of my reviews, go to http://boyzread.blogspot.com/. Comments are always welcome!
April 23, 2012
A young girl's trip to the zoo takes an interesting turn as each of the animals calls her over with a "Psst!" to get her to come over so they can ask her to bring some special item that will make the animal's life better.
The fonts and graphics after the first two animals might help younger readers to make some predictions about who is calling next. If I were to share this book in the classroom, I would probably use a document camera to display the zoo map found in the front and back of the book.
Adam Rex has a lot of little treats on each page sure to delight younger and older readers (for example, just when you think Rex is offering the official names of the animals under their common name, the reader finds "Hilly Goat Gruff" on a sign. . .oh, and don't miss the walrus, friends).
Little sight gags like an ice cream shop called Dr. Chewlittle's and a souvenir shop called All T-Shirts Large and Small are more examples of what makes this a fun, fun book. And don't miss the specialized trashcans. Oh, I've said too much already.
The climax of the book is classic kids literature kind of stuff. Share this title with your favorite little animal enthusiasts out there. Believe me, you won't want to miss what the animals do with all of the things they are able to get the little girl to bring them (thank goodness there was a MicrocosArt across the street--where all things beginning with the letter "T" are 50% off today ((can your younger readers name all of the "T" items lined up on the sidewalk?))
It is a pleasure to recommend PSSST! after the censorship and banning of Adam Rex's THE DIRTY COWBOY recently. By sharing his work in STEEEEEAMBOAT A-Comin'!, FRANKENSTEIN TAKES THE CAKE, and now PSST, I hope to show a body of work that was missed. . .even though I am still reeling from the thought that THE DIRTY COWBOY is anything but classic American folklore rendered masterfully by a up and coming author/illustrator.
The fonts and graphics after the first two animals might help younger readers to make some predictions about who is calling next. If I were to share this book in the classroom, I would probably use a document camera to display the zoo map found in the front and back of the book.
Adam Rex has a lot of little treats on each page sure to delight younger and older readers (for example, just when you think Rex is offering the official names of the animals under their common name, the reader finds "Hilly Goat Gruff" on a sign. . .oh, and don't miss the walrus, friends).
Little sight gags like an ice cream shop called Dr. Chewlittle's and a souvenir shop called All T-Shirts Large and Small are more examples of what makes this a fun, fun book. And don't miss the specialized trashcans. Oh, I've said too much already.
The climax of the book is classic kids literature kind of stuff. Share this title with your favorite little animal enthusiasts out there. Believe me, you won't want to miss what the animals do with all of the things they are able to get the little girl to bring them (thank goodness there was a MicrocosArt across the street--where all things beginning with the letter "T" are 50% off today ((can your younger readers name all of the "T" items lined up on the sidewalk?))
It is a pleasure to recommend PSSST! after the censorship and banning of Adam Rex's THE DIRTY COWBOY recently. By sharing his work in STEEEEEAMBOAT A-Comin'!, FRANKENSTEIN TAKES THE CAKE, and now PSST, I hope to show a body of work that was missed. . .even though I am still reeling from the thought that THE DIRTY COWBOY is anything but classic American folklore rendered masterfully by a up and coming author/illustrator.
October 6, 2012
One day a young girl goes to the zoo and has a series of strange conversations with the animals. Each of them asks the girl to bring them something, some tires, paint, trash cans, flashlights, bicycle helmets, corn. It’s an odd list of items, but they give the girl money (coins picked from the fountains) so she dutifully buys everything at the superstore across the street. You’ll have to read the book to find out what the animals do with their treasures. Let’s just say it’s probably not your first guess!
Rex’s oil and acrylic illustrations on watercolor paper combine loosely depicted backgrounds with highly detailed characters to create a slightly surreal and hilarious environment. The backgrounds are filled with visual and textual jokes, some for kids (“sidewalk sale 50% off all items starting with T”) and some for adults, like the sign in front of the walrus, which reads, “I am the Walrus (koo-koo-kachoo).” The girl’s narration, of which there is very little, is printed across the page, but her unusual conversations with the animals happen in panels, much like a graphic novel. Dialogue is always shown in speech bubbles and much can be learned from the girl’s facial expressions. Check out the endpapers, which feature a humorous map of the zoo.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
Rex’s oil and acrylic illustrations on watercolor paper combine loosely depicted backgrounds with highly detailed characters to create a slightly surreal and hilarious environment. The backgrounds are filled with visual and textual jokes, some for kids (“sidewalk sale 50% off all items starting with T”) and some for adults, like the sign in front of the walrus, which reads, “I am the Walrus (koo-koo-kachoo).” The girl’s narration, of which there is very little, is printed across the page, but her unusual conversations with the animals happen in panels, much like a graphic novel. Dialogue is always shown in speech bubbles and much can be learned from the girl’s facial expressions. Check out the endpapers, which feature a humorous map of the zoo.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
September 26, 2007
I think for me, Adam Rex is like Michel Gondry - one of those people with really unique ideas who I hope always get to do their own thing - and whether or not each project is entirely perfect, whatever he makes, you know it's going to be interesting, beautiful and like nothing else out there.
February 10, 2018
Very funny picture book that takes place mostly at a zoo, with funny references for adults, great pictures for kids, and a sneakily hilarious surprise ending. Great for preschoolers and children in early elementary grades.
August 24, 2013
Awesome book. Now I love Adam rex
March 16, 2014
The illustrations here are clever and fun. So much to see and catch on to, visually, and with word play. Very much looking forward to sharing this with one of my favorite young boy-os.
October 15, 2012
The kids LOVED this book. We read it three times in a row. Super fun picture book.
April 6, 2025
March Reading Challenge: Read Across America
For this month, I decided to read Pssst! by Adam Rex. This book is a fiction/comedy book, and it used to be one of my favorite childhood books. The book centers around a young girl who goes on a trip to the zoo, but animals keep calling her over and asking her to bring them different items. For example, the bats wanted flashlights for the hippopotamus living in their cave, and the penguins wanted paint, so that their enclosure looked less plain. I honestly wouldn't say there's a central theme or message because I feel like the story is just meant to be crazy and humorous. One thing I loved about the book was the pacing of the plot. It is very fast paced, which makes it more insane and fun to read. Adam Rex's writing style in the book is constant throughout the whole thing. There is lots of repetition of the word "pssst" and tons of funny dry humor. The setting all takes place at different places in the zoo and many different enclosures, such as the penguin enclosure, the turkey enclosure, and the javelina enclosure. The strengths about the book for me are the awesome art, which mixes realism and cartoon style artwork, the fast pacing, and the funny humor. I honestly can't think of a big weakness about the book, but if I had to pick one it would be that it were longer because it is a very short read. This book definitely brought me a lot of nostalgia, and I had a lot of fun reading it. Overall I would give this book a 5/5 star rating because of how fun it is and how great the artwork is. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, or anyone who is a fan of dry humor.
For this month, I decided to read Pssst! by Adam Rex. This book is a fiction/comedy book, and it used to be one of my favorite childhood books. The book centers around a young girl who goes on a trip to the zoo, but animals keep calling her over and asking her to bring them different items. For example, the bats wanted flashlights for the hippopotamus living in their cave, and the penguins wanted paint, so that their enclosure looked less plain. I honestly wouldn't say there's a central theme or message because I feel like the story is just meant to be crazy and humorous. One thing I loved about the book was the pacing of the plot. It is very fast paced, which makes it more insane and fun to read. Adam Rex's writing style in the book is constant throughout the whole thing. There is lots of repetition of the word "pssst" and tons of funny dry humor. The setting all takes place at different places in the zoo and many different enclosures, such as the penguin enclosure, the turkey enclosure, and the javelina enclosure. The strengths about the book for me are the awesome art, which mixes realism and cartoon style artwork, the fast pacing, and the funny humor. I honestly can't think of a big weakness about the book, but if I had to pick one it would be that it were longer because it is a very short read. This book definitely brought me a lot of nostalgia, and I had a lot of fun reading it. Overall I would give this book a 5/5 star rating because of how fun it is and how great the artwork is. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, or anyone who is a fan of dry humor.
December 14, 2017
picture book (zoos, animals, inventions; preschoolers and up - great for one-on-one reading)
* Maybe features diverse characters: The main character is somewhat tanned but very rosy-cheeked, a brown-eyed, dark-haired child that might be interpreted as hispanic or asian (or mixed heritage), but could also be seen as white.
* detailed pictures make this less than optimal for storytime (unless you've got a small enough crowd)--the small-panel and larger-panel pictures also contain a lot of little hidden jokes suitable for parents reading to their child (in typical Adam Rex style). You can still make it work for a crowd, however, esp. if you do the various animal voices, as the repetition of the animals pssting the child makes it easy to follow the story, but there may be some visuals that require description and the full effect of the book wouldn't be appreciated from afar/in a larger crowd.
* Maybe features diverse characters: The main character is somewhat tanned but very rosy-cheeked, a brown-eyed, dark-haired child that might be interpreted as hispanic or asian (or mixed heritage), but could also be seen as white.
* detailed pictures make this less than optimal for storytime (unless you've got a small enough crowd)--the small-panel and larger-panel pictures also contain a lot of little hidden jokes suitable for parents reading to their child (in typical Adam Rex style). You can still make it work for a crowd, however, esp. if you do the various animal voices, as the repetition of the animals pssting the child makes it easy to follow the story, but there may be some visuals that require description and the full effect of the book wouldn't be appreciated from afar/in a larger crowd.
October 5, 2017
4.5 An absolutely beautiful book filled to the brim with compelling page turns. A confident (and pleasantly gender neutral) girl strolls the zoo as various animals make requests. As we meet the animals, plenty of personality is conveyed in very few words making it a wonderful read-aloud. Rex deftly employs sketched line, photo montage and oil paints to create a rich world where the eye catches in all the right places. It is one of those books created to entertain on 2 levels, both for children and their readers, and both will love hunting for the visual humour on the first and subsequent reads.
October 1, 2017
Children's picture books with no clear message always baffle me. I don't necessarily think they ALL need a lesson, but a clear meaning for the story is a good idea when reading to children.
A little girl is at the zoo when various zoo animals Pssst! her over to them and ask her to bring them things. I chuckled at the dialogue, though.
A little girl is at the zoo when various zoo animals Pssst! her over to them and ask her to bring them things. I chuckled at the dialogue, though.
December 31, 2017
A girl goes to the zoo, several of the animals PSSST! to her to ask her to bring them certain things. They even provide the coins the peacock picked out of the wishing fountain so the girl can buy the items. She takes the tires, flashlights, a chair, and more back to them not knowing what they wanted them for. Funny story great illustrations.
May 19, 2021
Recommended by my library's children's librarian as one of her favorites. Not sure how well it would work as a full group read aloud as some of the pictures of the girl talking to the animals are in 6 panels per page.
This book would be good for asking the kids questions - make predictions as why each animal is asking for that specific item and what they will do with it?
This book would be good for asking the kids questions - make predictions as why each animal is asking for that specific item and what they will do with it?
January 7, 2018
Adam Rex’s picture books make me wish my kids were tiny so we could read them over and over again together. This book, about a little girl who is trying to fulfill some odd requests from zoo animals, is so funny and charming and the art is so sweet and beautiful. Loved it.
December 11, 2020
This one was not for me. The images seemed ugly and the girl passive but unkind. It was fun that the animals teamed up to get all the pieces of their rocket car but that wasn’t enough.
My kids probably would have liked it.
My kids probably would have liked it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2024
Doesn't ascend to the same exalted plane as "Tree Ring Circus", but this is still top-quality stuff from Rex, whose illustrations grab you by the eyeballs and whelm you with slantwise humour and flippant detail.
May 24, 2017
Purchases bc its phenomenal-we still use catchphrases from this book, after 10
yrs now? Corn corn corn corn!
yrs now? Corn corn corn corn!
June 24, 2017
A beautiful and fun book to read to your kids!
July 19, 2017
Very fun book. Lots of things to keep you interested and laughing
August 21, 2017
Well, it's Adam Rex so of courses it's fantastic. The animals all want something from the young zoo patron. What they do with it is quite unexpected.
September 7, 2018
We will read everything by Adam Rex. The art is awesome!
June 14, 2019
Very cute - these sneaky animals have a girl assist them in what she thinks are simple requests. But they might not be using the items for what she thinks!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews