Product Description

It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo.

In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new something called reading. She finds the perfect book for every animal—tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. "She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter." In no time at all, Molly has them "forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks," going "wild, simply wild, about wonderful books." Judy Sierra’s funny animal tale coupled with Marc Brown’s lush, fanciful paintings will have the same effect on young Homo sapiens. Altogether, it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35318 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-01
• Released on: 2004-08-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780375825385
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. In this rollicking story, librarian Molly McGrew accidentally drives her bookmobile into the zoo, and then the fun begins! The animals draw close to listen to a Dr. Seuss story, and soon they begin stampeding "to learn all about this new something called reading." Many picture-book authors who try their hands at rhyme have less-than-stellar results. Here, the best part of the book is Sierra's handy way with a rhyming text that not only scans properly but also is both clever and full of images that will amuse children ("Tasmanian devils found books so exciting / That soon they had given up fighting for writing"). The wild animal goings-on offer illustrator Brown an opportunity to get away from his vaguely aardvarklike Arthur and create some real animals--in fact, about every animal one can think of. All the slaphappy art fits nicely into double-page spreads that allow the energetic action room to breathe. That's good because there are tons of things to look at, all in sunny colors. Not only are the animals reading books but they are also hugging them, licking the pictures off the pages, and trying their "hands" at writing. A wonderful advertisement for the joys of a literary life. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
This book is perfect for primary school libraries and all librarians, whether in school or not... A joy of a book and a worthy addition to any primary school library. School Librarian A compelling volume for encouraging both literacy in its widest sense, and books and libraries in particular. Ibby Link This ingenious book, with Judy Sierra's lively rhyming text, makes reading look fun - always a good thing. Marc Brown's bright cheerful pictures are full of little gems. Carousel

From the Inside Flap
It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo.

In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new something called reading. She finds the perfect book for every animal—tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. "She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter." In no time at all, Molly has them "forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks," going "wild, simply wild, about wonderful books." Judy Sierra's funny animal tale coupled with Marc Brown's lush, fanciful paintings will have the same effect on young Homo sapiens. Altogether, it's more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

Customer Reviews

great book for young and old
Wild About Books is one of those kids' books that runs on all cylinders. The premise, the librarian drives the bookmobile into the zoo where the animals get hooked on reading, is original and full of opportunity. The language is simply fantastic--playful, sophisticated, rhythmic, full of great sounds and rhymes, and filled with puns aimed at older readers and adults. The artwork matches the language--bright and cheery, varied in color and size and layout, filled with as many visual jokes as linguistic ones. The book doesn't condescend to its intended audience of young children or to its secondary one--the adult reading it aloud. It is a bit long for the very young (two and under) but certainly three and up will find it a wonderful read and those who are between two and three will enjoy it as much if in truncated readings. Those 30 and up will enjoy it even more. One of the best picture books of the past few years and highly recommended.

Excellent!
My three year old son and I love this new book! It has a Dr. Seuss flavor to it which makes it fun and easy to read. It did start more conversations about zoo animals that we don't normally talk about at this age too which has been fun.

The Imagination of Judy Sierra is Wild!
A love of reading is one of the first things parents should teach their children - reading books, signs, newspapers, cereal boxes and reading for life! Ms. Sierra's book, Wild About Books, takes that love of reading a step beyond by showing how animals of all kinds can love books, too!

Can you imagine a yak reading about grasses? A trout reading about flies? What about an elephant reading about the latest stealth methods?

Judy Sierra can! And Marc Brown can draw these amazing animals, too!

As a mom with four avid readers, Wild About Books is a wonderful, imagination-opening adventure into the zoobrary - combining a love of reading with a love of animals. The Seuss-like words flow from your lips as fast as the rabbits and gnus can turn the pages. The ideas and conversations that flowed after reading this book were nearly as much fun as the books - one daughter wanted to go directly to our local zoo...another took the book outside to read to our dog...the youngest wanted to know more about each animal...and on and on!

Books are written to be read and listened to. They are illustrated to draw the reader into the story content. Ms. Sierra and Mr. Brown have truly captured their young audience with both - giving insight into a flowing zoo world, while opening up the imagination of the child.

The Queen's kids rate Wild About Books all 10 piggies!