Visiting the zoo is a quintessential childhood experience filled with wonder and learning. For most kids, the zoo is the only place they will see exotic and wild animals. It is also a place where they can feel connected to the natural world and learn the importance of taking care of wildlife and the environment. Going to the Zoo is a 1,060-word nonfiction children’s picture book designed for ages 5-9. Using informative text, plus blurbs and tidbits of interesting animal and zoo insight, Going to the Zoo follows two young friends as they visit the zoo and learn about the different ways zoos care for their animals. Vivid illustrations bring the zoo and its activities to life as the friends explore everything from how zoos feed their animals to why zoo animals do “tricks.” Aimed toward early to middle elementary students, Going to the Zoo’s content is less dense than Michael George’s Life at the Zoo but it is more sophisticated and challenging than Blake Hoena’s The Zoo Book. Going to the Zoo was reviewed by teachers, educators, and Denver Zoo professionals for content and age appropriateness.

Lead author and illustrator Eric Parrish is a trained artist and scientific illustrator who has made a career of communicating science at the University of Colorado Boulder and Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Eric’s wife, Ellen Sukovich Parrish, is a former atmospheric scientist turned K–12 STEM curriculum editor for TeachEngineering.org who develops hands-on learning activities for students. Ellen and Eric live in Erie, Colorado.