Saturday, December 23, 2023

Snowday at the Zoo Book Review

 



Author: Lauren Muskovitz Ranalli 

Illustrator: Mollie Olinyk

Publisher: Lauren Ranalli

Released: January 1, 2023

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 978-17733143318

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating: 4 Lemon Drops

Prepare for a snow day unlike any other. What makes this one so different from all the other snow days? It’s at the zoo!




Summary:

Have you ever wondered who takes care of all the animals at the zoo when it snows so many schools and businesses shut down? Snow Day at the Zoo offers readers a unique and playful perspective of how zoo animals spend their snow day.

Review:

Told through the little girl’s point of view, we get a firsthand look at how much this lively child enjoys caring for the animals. She turns chores into active games that even her reluctant brother revels in.

Youngsters will clamor to hear more or to visit their local zoo in the dead of winter, after reading Lauren Ranalli’s interpretation of a snow day at the zoo. For every parent’s sake, I hope their children choose the former every time! 😉

With spirited rhyming, the story takes us though the day of two siblings who help their zookeeper father tend to the animals on a snowy day at the zoo. From sledding with tigers to ice-skating with penguins, this is a one-of-a-kind snow day full of wintertime fun!

Mollie Olinyk’s colorful illustrations are charming and pleasing to the eye. I especially enjoyed the picture of the little girl celebrating snow day number two.

I give it 4 Lemon Drops!





Classroom Connection:

Age Range: 2 years and up

Targeted Vocabulary: blanketed, chores, barricades, swarmed, exhausted





Resources & Lesson Ideas:

Literacy:

After a read-aloud of the book, children and grown-ups can discuss a typical snow day they’ve experienced. Compare and contrast these experiences to those of the characters in the book.

Zoo Animals Flashcards | FREEBIE by Prestige English | TPT (teacherspayteachers.com)

Fun Animal Shadow Matching Worksheets - FluffyTots

Art:

Farm Animal Crafts | Zoo Animal Crafts | Jungle Animal Crafts Freebie - Cut&Glue (teacherspayteachers.com)

How to Draw a Lion for Kids - How to Draw Easy

Music/Movement: 

Act out the movements and sounds of each animal in the book.

The BEST Dear Zoo Activities for Preschool & Kindergarten (littleslovelearning.com)

Science:

All About Zoo Animals-FREEBIE!! by Free Falling in SDC | TPT (teacherspayteachers.com)

FREE! Zoo Animals MATCHING Activity - MONTESSORI Theme - Busy Book Binder (teacherspayteachers.com)

Math:

FREE Zoo Animals Sort by Size Kindergarten Cut and Paste Worksheets Special Ed (teacherspayteachers.com)

FREE Letter and Number Matching Puzzles Zoo Animals by The Simplified Classroom (teacherspayteachers.com)

Zoo Activities for Preschool They'll Be Wild About in Math Centers - Turner Tots

Available on Amazon

About The Author:





Lauren Ranalli is an award-winning children’s book writer and marketing coach for aspiring and self-published authors.

She is a fully-grown adult who still gets excited about the Scholastic book catalogue. She can wander for hours in bookstores and absolutely loves a freshly sharpened pencil.

She has found so much joy in pursuing her dream of being a children’s book author. Inspired by her own high-spirited children, she aims to create stories that excite curiosity and broaden our sense of community.

 

 


 

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