Librarian: Sarah Lawton, youth services librarian at the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury
Book: ZooZical, written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Marc Brown
Age range: 2 to 6
Lawton’s summary: The zoo animals are grumpy because the cold winter weather is keeping children from visiting. But a baby kangaroo and a very small hippo sing and dance in such a catchy way that all the animals get in on the act.
Why it’s hot: It’s been a runaway hit here in Middlebury, says Lawton, because of its memorable rhymes and cast of characters. It’s the only book I know of that manages to rhyme the word ‘karaoke,’ she says. In fact, a group of kindergartner readers spontaneously made the book into a skit recently and performed their own ZooZical.
Why kids will love it: What captured me about the book from an early-literacy standpoint is the combination of colorful characters and amazing rhythmic language, says Lawton. It really helps kids get ready to read.
This article was originally published in Seven Days’ monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
This article appears in Kids VT, March 2012.
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