The Zoo

by Suzy Lee

An ordinary trip to the zoo turns out to be extraordinary... as an imaginative, fun-filled, animal adventure takes hold of a little girl. (Meanwhile, her poor beleaguered parents experience an adventure of their own.) It s a trip youngest animal lovers, explorers and dreamers will want to take again and again.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Fantasy, Adventure, Family, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Suzy Lee is an artist and illustrator, born in Seoul, Korea. She received her BFA in painting from Seoul National University and her MA in Book Arts from Camberwell College of Arts, London. Her books and paintings have won numerous international awards and have been featured in exhibitions worldwide.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my fourth and fave Suzy Lee picture book, and the first with words, though these are happily few, narrated by a little girl whose experience of the trip to the zoo with her parents is very different than theirs. Spoiler alert: she gets lost, which for her parents is of course terrifying, but for her is an imaginative opportunity to experience connections with the animals. It's a fantasy, beyond bars, frolicking with the animals. The pencil and watercolor art is breezy and light and belies the scary experience of the parents, but this is not a fearful "missing children" tale but an (for her!) exhilarating adventure. The art is what we have come to expect from Lee; the art is wonderful, refreshing, inventive. One of the main reasons to love the book, for sure.

The little girl's narration tells of HER joyful experience, but it runs counter to what we see in the parents's faces, of course. This is the primary reason I love this book, because there is this hilarious irony between the text and the parents's concerned expressions.

I know what you're thinking, parents: Well, Dave, then you have never been separated from your kids in a zoo or shopping mall, because that's just not fun or "exhilarating" at all! True, it's not, as I have lots of kids and more occasions than I want to admit that I have been separated (briefly! briefly!!) from one of my little angels. . . But this is not an insensitive "missing milk box" story; it's a tale (okay, to me!) of delightfully inventive counter narration and joyful fantasy.

I read through some of the years of reviews and a lot of people seem to not like it all that much for the very reasons I like it. That's why we live in a great big diverse world, I guess. This was for me a refreshingly different and lovely and funny story.

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story touches on a parent’s worst nightmare but a child’s biggest dream—let’s just gets that out in the open—the parents cannot find their daughter while at the zoo. Okay, so that will be the only spoiler I give.

Though the parents’ area frantic, the little girl is having the time of her life while exploring the zoo. She uses her fantastic little imagination and explores the zoo like no child ever has. It is impressive what she can think up with her being only about five in the story, but it is also beautiful.

The illustrations are some of the most beautiful illustrations that I have come across thus far. The book is in a blue/gray palette while the story focuses on the parents, but the second that it focuses on the little girl, all these wonderful colors explode onto the page to illustrate her beautiful imagination and the world that she is seeing. I also like the fact that there are few words, the majority of the book relying on the illustrations to tell the story.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars--Here's a book that is a study in perspectives. A little girl becomes separated from her parents at the zoo and has a grand adventure, while her parents' outlook on the incident isn't nearly as amusing. The pages with the little girl show her playing among friendly animals in a color-filled and joyful environment. The parents' perspective, however, is one of gray, even grim surroundings in which the animals aren't even noticed.
The zoo enclosures are of the industrial concrete variety common in the 1970s and 80s, which are thankfully becoming a thing of the past in modern zoos, but have still not been entirely phased out in favor of more naturalistic habitats.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl and her parents visit the zoo and have two very different experiences. I love the imagination of the little girl, a common theme in Lee's books. I also enjoyed the contrast of the cooler tones for the parents' perspective and the warmer, brighter, more energetic tones for the girl's perspective. Very well done.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book! A little girl goes to the zoo with her parents, but as they get separated, she sees a very different version of events. Mostly wordless, so it might not work for storytime, but would be great to share one on one where you can examine the detailed pictures up close.

[Gabi Portillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

La definición narrativa de pintar fuera de las líneas. Un guiño precioso a las niños.

[javier fernández]

Bueno

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Spanish here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq7Il...

[Anne Lys Perrotin · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read it in the French edition.
Uma imagem é um texto? Pode ser, né? Se considerarmos que ela pode construir ou tecer uma narrativa. Contar uma história. A origem latina da palavra texto aliás é essa. Agora se o textus latino já nasceu ligado à técnica da escrita literária eu não sei. Podemos perguntar aos universitários. :)

Mas falando em textus e pegando o fio do post da Cigarra ali no IG dela eu trago dois livros de Suzy Lee. Zoo sem animais et A onda. Dois álbuns lindos. Um totalmente sem escrita e outro que aparentemente parece ‘normal’ para um álbum. Nesse último há escrita e há ilustração. Tudo dentro da normalidade.
Mas não é nada disso, não é bem isso. Enquanto em A onda (aqui La vague) a sequência das imagens nos permite criar um texto que nos deixa numa situação confortável de ‘eu entendi a história’; o outro Zoo sem animais (aqui Zoo sans animaux) nos deixa a estranha sensação de que texto e imagem são duas coisas bem diferentes e contam histórias bem distintas. Tipo vida real mesmo 🙃
Enquanto a narrativa escrita de Zoo nos conta um lado da história, a ilustração nos conta a outra versão. E não por acaso as ilustrações contam a versão dos pais. Porque só vendo mesmo pra crer. É adorável esse álbum.
Lemos os dois em dias diferente e depois os relemos em outro dia, um seguido do outro.
As observações da minha filha.
‘É a mesma criança né, mãe!? Ela é engraçada. Os pais dela parecem zangados aqui. Mas ela está bem feliz’.

Resumindo, mais uma leitura feliz. Obrigada #suzylee

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book about a family's trip to the zoo. When the parents are on the page, everything is gray scale. The zoo is drab and almost oppressive, focusing on the cages and too small exhibit areas. The animals aren't in evidence. However, the daughter "escapes" (accidentally?). Pages that focus on her are bright, with many different colors. The animals are out and playing, sometimes with her.

At the end, the anxious parents are reunited with their daughter. She's had a great time during their zoo trip.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel the art suggests metaphors. The zoo the parents experience is drab , black and white and grey. It is empty and void of feeling. Is it really a zoo or all the animals gone? The zoo the little girl experiences is colorful and whimsical. The parents lose the little girl but all is well when she is found on the bench dreaming of zoo animals. I liked this book but the absence of animals in the zoo threw me a bit!

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was written when Suzy was still in Korea and the writing at the Zoo is Korean. This is also the first book I've read by Suzy that ISN'T a wordless book. There aren't many words, but there are a few.

Most of the story is in black and white. There is humor as well. The people go look at the animals and all the cages are empty.

A little girl sees a peacock in color and follows it to a place where all the animals are playing together in the wild and she gets to play with them.

Interesting. Not my favorite of hers, but you can see the budding artist for certain.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I love the zoo. It's very exciting. Mom and Dad think so, too."

Which visit to the zoo is the real one? The little girl who follows the peacock and ends up interacting with hippos, elephants and monkeys? Or the little girl who wanders off and her parents frantically search high and low to find her? The text remains the same, but the pictures change depending on the
version of the story.

[Nadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. It is adorable and funny. I love the simplicity of the illustrations and the use of color, or lack thereof. The text is simple and I think this would be a good book for independent reading, though I think parents would enjoy reading this with their kids getting slightly different things out of it. Cute story.

[Mandy Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. It would be a really good book for new readers because there aren't a lot of words, and it has a simple storyline. I probably wouldn't use it as a read aloud book because there really isn't any special meaning or lesson for kids but it would be a good book for kids to get practice reading. I would recommend this for a K-2nd grade classroom.

[Chrissy Wassinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published 2007
An adorable and humorous book about a family trip to the zoo that is great for elementary aged children to read. This book would be great for inspiring your child to use their imagination more often!

[Holly Halberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a really creative way, this books shows the perspective of a zoo trip from a little girl and then from her parents. Also, the illustrations are amazing, absolutely breathtaking!!! This book along with all of Suzy Lee's books I would use as a read aloud (or look aloud!) where students can write or describe what they think the writing on the pages might say.

[Viviana Collazos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Más allá de lo que entendemos como un zoológico y la complejidad del cautiverio. La magia que tienen los niños en vivir su propia historia, magia que muchos adultos perdemos con los años. Me pareció hermoso 💚 no hay que perder el color en nuestros días 💙

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl goes to the zoo with her parents. She wanders off and the parents are searching all over for her. All the while the child is having fun.

[Debra (Dragon Nanny) Phiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun picture book for kids! We happen to love the zoo so this book was right up our alley!

[Kellyythoralabatalla · Rating 5 out of 5]

No saben lo que yo amo los libros de Suzy Lee 🥹

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorei a relação de texto e imagem!

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia donde vemos la inocencia e imaginación de los niños representado en un zoológico.

[Maly Charlín · Rating 5 out of 5]

"solo con el corazón se puede ver bien; lo esencial es invisible a los ojos"

[Sierra Hancuff]

I really enjoyed this picture book. It would be good for any elementary age student. It's a simple little story about a family that goes to the zoo. Every time the parents turned around their child would be in the cage with the animal they were looking at. This book was published in 2007.

[Evelyn Saidov · Rating 5 out of 5]

FICTION 2007
I thought that this was a very funny and sweet book. It would be good for younger elementary students, and could be used in the classroom to read aloud for fun, as well as to make connections between points of view.

[Jeff Fortney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book with more words than I would have expected from a wordless picture book. It raised the question in my mind as to how few words are allowed for a book to still be called a wordless picture book. Regardless, the story by Suzy Lee is a magical, imaginative trip to a very dreary zoo with a little girl and her family. The endpapers hint of colorful animals. The book jacket shows a gray-toned gorilla cage with a gray-toned gorilla. The gorilla is holding the only thing of color on the cover...it turns out to be the little girl's shoe. The title page contains a colorful peacock feather.
The first few pages are dreary, gray, bland pictures of a very unexciting zoo. The only colorful item is a peacock, that possibly only the little girl sees. She follows the colorful peacock into a land of colorful imagination that offsets the lack of animals and the overall downer feel of the zoo to a beautiful world full of animals and color. Her balloon bird on a string escapes the clutches of her dad and follows her through some of these scenes. The parents can't find her and in a panic and call for her, only to discover her asleep on a bench with her balloon bird. The last few pages state that she loves the zoo - it's very exciting - and her imagination shows all her colorful animal friends gathered to say goodbye to her. Her missing shoe is seen clutched in the gorilla's mouth. The final page states that her parents think the zoo is exciting too. They are looking back with perplexed faces at the space where the imaginary animals are scene on the previous pages. Are they seeing/sensing something too? Or are they glad to be away from the 'excitement' of losing and eventually finding their daughter? The back endpapers show a monkey shoving the gorilla back into his cage...the pink shoe tightly in his grasp.
This was a fun book to look through several times to see little details like the shoe, the balloon and the continuation of things through the pages like the peacock. Again, this was listed as a wordless picture book, but there are some words...so I'm curious about that.

[Joanna Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Zoo created by Suzy Lee. The story is about one day a little girl and her dad and mom visited a zoo. The little girl got lost at zoo, and their parents were really worried and tried to find her back. When the parents watched the hippos in their pool, they suddenly found out that their daughter was not with them and she has gone away. So they were looking for her girl and went all the spots at zoo. Finally they found her sleeping on a bench near the gorillas' spot. They got her girl back, but they seemed unhappy. They may have wasted time finding her daughter so that they didn't enjoy visiting the zoo.

The texts and illustration tell different story. The text of the story depicts the family visited the zoo and saw many kind of animals and went home. However, the illustration tells the different story from perspective of what the little girl sees while visiting the zoo. Looking at each of illustration, people watched animals but there is no animals in the cage and in encircled fences. As a reader, I wondered where animals are because I don't see any in the illustration. Later on, the girl followed a beautiful peacock to a place where monkey, bear, hippos, giraffes, and elephants play together. It looks like a fancy paradise, and she were having so much fun with the animals. When parents of the girl found her, she was sleeping. from illustration, the animals are in technicolor. I wondered if all animals truly come out off cage to play with the girl, or it is just the girl dreaming of playing with animals. Fortunately, little girl's parents got her back after long searching even though they looked tired and unhappy. But the little girl thought she had a great time at zoo, so she assumed that her parents also had fun. In fact, they must have been terrified while searching for their little girl. When the family went home, the parents looked tired and unhappy, but the girl looked pleasure.

[Little Miss and the Legomeister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suzy Lee is amazing. The words in this book tell an average, boring story. But the illustrations tell something completely different.

There are no animals in the cages! Everything is brown, blue, and grey. Little Girl is attracted by the colorful peacock and follows it into an imaginary world where everything is bright and colorful. The animals are all free, playing and happy. Little Girl plays with them.

Mom and Dad realize Little Girl is missing and frantically search. They find her sleeping on a park bench.

Somehow I don't think Mom and Dad enjoyed this trip to the zoo quite as much as Little Girl.

My reaction to this book was skewed by strongly identifying with the parents and their missing daughter. I think most kids would really enjoy it. Little Miss loved it.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically, Lee has a habit of downplaying parental oversight of her characters. In this story of a young family visiting the zoo, the parents look away as a young girl sneaks off in chase of a peacock. The text narrative follows the trek of the family's visits to various exhibits, while alternating pages show the young girl's path. At the elephant Dad suddenly realizes his daughter is in the cage enjoying splashing with the elephants as they shower their trunks in the pool where she is splashing, and then sliding down the neck of the giraffe and flying with the birds in the aviary.

The text tells a succinct brief narrative of a family's trip to the zoo. The illustrations tell a completely different story.