MY VISIT TO THE ZOO

Aliki (Hello! Good-bye!, 1996, etc.) starts this fine picture book on the endpapers, which feature a tropical greenhouse with a host of labeled butterfly and hummingbird species. The simple first-person narration is by a girl who reluctantly accompanies her cousin to the zoo. She's been to other zoos where the animals seemed sad, but this zoo is different—the animals move about freely in naturalistic habitats. Aliki stresses the important role such zoos play in protecting and preserving endangered species in the fact-filled zoological tour that follows. A world map on the final page shows where each animal of the 80 species mentioned comes from and notes whether it is endangered or vulnerable. The main text moves along smoothly, and for those interested, more detailed information appears in picture captions. The colored pencil illustrations, though somewhat stylized, are lively and give readers a good working knowledge of each animal's appearance and the habitat in which it lives. (map, index) (Picture book. 4-8)