The Zoo Box

 

The Zoo Box by Ariel Cohn Illustrated by Aron Nels Steinke

Overview: Erika and Patrick get to stay home alone while their parents go out. They decide to play dress up in the attic where they find a box with a label that says "DO NOT OPEN" like most kids, they open it anyway and out of it comes a herd of animals. They follow the animals and where they go next is unbelievable. Luckily, they make it home on time before they are caught. 

Target Audience: Students who love animals.

Reading Level (according to amazon.com):

Age Range 5-7 Years

Overal Rating 25/28:

- This book can relate to many social justice topics revolving animals (also known as animal rights.) In the book the tables turn, and there is a human zoo instead of the traditional animal zoos we attend. This can evoke a good conversation in the class, which is why I rated the book 4/4.

-The main characters in the book are two American children who seem to live in a traditional middle class neighborhood, the only other characters shown in the books are the parents and the animals. I really enjoyed the book but had to rate it 1/4 in diversity. 

Literary Elements:

-Onomatopoeia

-Title

-Personification

Cohn, A., & Steinke, A. N. (2014). The Zoo Box. New York, NY: First Second.