Kids love to hear animal sounds — which is why when they visit the zoo for the first time, they fall in love. Going to the zoo with family and friends is one of the highlights of anyone’s day, especially when children are involved. They get to learn about what animals eat, their habitats, and how they get along with other animals! On a nice sunny day, you can go enjoy the food and watch monkeys swing from branches, see zebras out in a green field, or even ride horses!
Going to the zoo is always a joyful experience for friends and families. It also serves as a great learning experience for young children who are starting to understand the different kinds of animals. Sometimes, animals might even interact with us when we least expect it! These cute moments with children when they get to go through the crawlspace to see other animals is incredible. These moments are why we are bringing you seven children’s books about zoos and going to the zoo!
Love At the Zoo by Emily Hartmann, Illustrated by Emily Hartmann
The bond between mothers and their babies is one of the greatest bonds in the world. This kind of love eliminates hate and supports both mothers and their children throughout their lives. In Love At the Zoo, Emily Hartmann focuses on the bonds between mothers and babies with different zoo animals! The book shows illustrations with great rhymes, how different animal moms take care of their babies in the zoo, and inspires children to appreciate their mothers!
This is a great story for young children to learn about parent-to-child relationships and how those emotions are fostered between them. The rhymes help children commit the relationships between zoo animals to memory while appreciating the beautiful illustrations of the animals! The wholesome behaviors between animal parents and their babies will captivate children until the last page.
The Yippy Zippy Zoo by Matthew T. Veibell, Edited by Bailee Condie, Illustrated by Maggie Lightheart
Animals have so many different personalities, but did you ever imagine them to be so vibrant in a children’s book? In The Yippy Zippy Zoo, we have the Pretty Witty Walrus who loves telling jokes, the Sticky Licky Lion who loves lollipops, the Tighty Whitey Toucan, the Hissy Kissy Cobra, and the Stinky Pinky Panda! Oh wait, we can’t forget the Polar Pilot Penguin. These animals may all do something different or have different personalities, but they are all unafraid to be who they are. The rhyming and alliteration will make any child or parent laugh out loud! There is also a great exercise where children have to find the hidden bee on every page.
Teaching children to be true to themselves is a beautiful message. It’s natural, just like animal behaviors in the zoo! The illustrations are vibrant and focused, keeping children entertained throughout the book. By showing how proud these animals are of their identities and personalities, children will learn how to love themselves in every way possible. This is a wonderful book that teaches observation and self-love messages!
The View At the Zoo by Kathleen Long Bostrom, Illustrated by Guy Francis
Perspective is illuminated in this zoo-tastic book. In The View At the Zoo, we go on an adventure to see who has the better view at the zoo! When the morning comes, the zookeeper rounds while getting the animals to wake up and comb their fur. Human visitors arrive at the zoo, and we start to make some observations of the animals! The animals walk on all kinds of feet; babies ride on their furry parent’s backs, on their bellies, or in sacks like kangaroos! They all make different sounds. The animals all have different perspectives about what they see, too.
Not only do we get to see from the perspectives of the zookeeper and humans, but we also get to see from the animals’ side! This shows children all of the roles that are at play in the zoo while focusing on all of the different behaviors between humans and animals. It is a great way to teach children how to observe different animal sounds and the relationships they have between themselves and other animals. This will surely make children want to visit the zoo!
Curious George Goes to the Zoo by H. A. Rey, Illustrated by H. A. Rey
Have you ever imagined a zoo where all the animals roam free? For Curious George, he’s seeing this for the first time, too, in Curious George Goes to the Zoo! Curious George notices how much fun the zoo animals have, so he goes out to join them! George notices how the giraffes and flamingos are close enough to touch, but he’s immediately drawn to a sad baby rhino. With all of his charisma, George manages to help this baby rhino overcome her anxiety and leave their hiding place! The other animals also planned a special birthday party for her!
Curious George is a classic character that we all love. In going to the zoo, George could spread all of his charm there too. Only someone like George could help the baby rhino out of her comfort zone so that she could attend her birthday party. With bonus activities such as spot-the-difference and fun animal facts, readers get to be curious like George too.
Zoo Day by Anne Rockwell, Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell
The zoo is where children and parents can celebrate animals and where they come from. In Zoo Day, we follow a young boy and his family visiting the zoo for the first time. Based on a true story by Anne Rockwell and her daughter, Lizzy Rockwell, they write and illustrate a day that they will never forget. From seeing gorillas, lions, polar bears, and parrots, these two write the story between the young boy and his parents as a beautifully universal experience.
Many of our stories come to us vividly when they are told from a true story. In a sense, going to the zoo is like magic — children get to learn how animals interact with each other and humans! You also can’t forget feeding the fish or riding on horses! Some zoos have trains that will take you around to different exhibits, which is a truly fun experience. We love that Anne and Lizzy got to recreate that day through the eyes of the young boy and his parents so vividly!
Noelle Goes to the Zoo by Mikaela Wilson, Illustrated by Pardeep Mehra
When we were kids, we’re sure you remember what it felt like to wait for fun things to happen. Children have a small world, so the build-up of tension is even more stressful for kids. For Noelle, that was exactly what happened. In Noelle Goes to the Zoo, she finds that being patient is hard, especially when she wants to see her favorite animal so badly! However, when Noelle finally gets to go to the zoo, she has a blast! She gets to see lions, pandas, and other super cool animals!
This book is a great way to teach children about the value of great things coming to those who wait. It teaches kids how to manage their emotions and also values the greatest moments in life that they have even more by being patient. Since Noelle worked hard to be patient, she appreciated the sight of the animals even more than if she weren’t patient and rushed straight to the zoo!
Zoo: Peek-A-Flap Board Book by Jaye Garnett, Illustrated by Kasia Nowowiejska
In Zoo: Peek-A-Flap Board Book, children will meet all zoo animals in this interactive board book! Children will encounter fun facts about the animals, new vocabulary words, and surprises found under the flaps in the book! Children will also learn about the habitats that these animals have. Kids will learn about lions, zebras, elephants, cheetahs, sloths, monkeys, and koalas! The flaps with chunky pages in this board book help children with hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The flaps also help with memory retention when kids learn all about zoo animals.
We love books for our young readers that can entertain and teach them, like this one! Zoo animals are so cool to learn about, and the surprises under the page flaps will help reinforce the facts about the animals. Children get to learn about the sounds different animals make while learning about where these animals live. What a great way to get kids invested in these lovely zoo animals!
Going to the zoo is a universal experience for families that can’t be missed. The zoo animals love human interactions, too (well, except the monkeys). We hope you loved these recommendations and will consider them to help your child learn about these incredible zoo animals!
Want to read about 7 Helpful Books That Will Get Kids Excited About Volunteering With Animals? Click here.
Read these books and more on our Mini Bookworms Delightful Recommendations bookshelf on Bookshop!
