Story Tray – Dear Zoo
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“I wrote to the zoo and they sent me a…”
This mornings story was aimed towards Miss 18m. She has been enjoying all things animals so I thought a visit to the zoo would tie in nicely with her current interests.
‘Dear Zoo‘ by Rod Campbell has been a favourite of ours since we got it back when Miss 4 was just a couple of months old. It’s repetitive script makes it easy for the little ones to focus on the theatre that the story presents with its partially hidden animals.
The story is based around a journey to find the perfect pet. Possible contenders are either to big, too grumpy, too scary or naughty. Some are too tall and others too jumpy. The illustrations are bright, colourful and easy to interpret.
With each animal revealed, Miss 18m was excited to make its animal sound.
“Roar says the lion”
“Oo oo ee ee ah ah says the monkey”
While the illustrations offer context to the text, they can also open up conversations to assist a preschool child in their comprehension of the text.
“Why do you think the elephant may be to big to be a pet?”
“What mischief do you think the naughty monkey could get into?”
“Why do you think a jumpy pet may not be suitable?”
Miss 18m fingers eagerly opened each of the flaps on each page. The partially covered animals are perfect for her age and her current understanding of object permanence. She is able to comprehend that there is more to the illustration than what she can see.
Finding the animals in the tray proved to be enjoyable. Before we even started reading, Miss 18m was reaching for the figurines and making their sounds.
‘Dear Zoo‘ is a must for a beginning library. It’s no wonder it is still a best seller even after over 30 years of its org is publication.
From infants to preschoolers, this book as lots to offer to the whole family.
Dani D x
Disclosure: This Blog does contain affiliate links which I may earn a small commission from if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.
