Here’s my choice for Perfect Picture Book Friday:
Zoo Ah-choooo
Written by Peter Mandel
Illustrated by Elwood Smith
Holiday House, 2012
Fiction
Suitable for ages: 2 and up
Themes/Topics: colds, zoo, ripple effects
Opening line: It was a sleepy Sunday at the City Zoo. The Hippos were slow. Low and slow.
Synopsis from Amazon.com: Watch out! A giant ZOO AH-CHOOOO is headed your way! Funny sound effects and wacky illustrations make this a laugh-out-loud favorite.
Snow Leopard started it: Ah-choooo! Elephant passed it along: RRRrrr-eee-ahh-PHOOOO! Now twelve Seals are spreading it: Ka-Frrrooo OOOOOOOOMMMMM! A geyser bursts, a mud volcano erupts, and chaos reigns! The zookeeper tries his best to minimize the mayhem, but he can’t keep up! Finally, he calls in the animal doctor. At last all is again quiet at the zoo until…was that a YAAAAWN?
Links to Resources: This 52-page guide is from SaniHands teaches the importance of hand hygienic and infection prevention. Kindergarten Hand Washing Lesson.
Why I like this book: We picked this up during one of our library visits while traveling. I didn’t like it during our first reading. Just like the day at the zoo begins slow, so does this book. After several readings, it grew on me. The animals’ sneezing sounds add to the fun of reading this book out loud. It also added a few tongue twists for me. The illustrations are fun and children can see something new each time they look at the book.
Find more Perfect Picture Books on Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog. Hope you have a great weekend.
*Sneezes are contagious. I began sneezing as I wrote this post. Zoo Ah-chooo!
(Updated the hand washing link on July 21, 2014.)
Jarm Del Boccio
How ironic. . .I’m reading your post on a day that I am coming down with a cold. Yesterday we hosted a friend who had a cold, too, and mentioned he was being diligent to wash his hands. Such an important topic to discuss with children. How clever to do it with animals. Thanks for this Stacy!
stacy
Hope you are feeling better Jarm!
Mike Allegra
Looks very cute — but that elephant sneeze of the cover looks a little, um, moist.
stacy
I definitely wouldn’t want to be near an elephant sneezing! My 3-year-old is moist enough.
Sue Heavenrich
this looks fun – I hope the animals aren’t allergic to people!
stacy
Yes. Let’s hope they aren’t allergic to us.
Sue Wang
Hello, Kleenex ad… Is that time of the year again. Very good way to get kids to think about hygiene. I am with Mike Allegra, the elephant sneezing is kinda moist. I relate.:)
stacy
Yes. Enzo (at 3) and much smaller than an elephant is too moist or moist enough for me!
Julie
Pshaw! Germs are great! Haha!
stacy
Germs are great! ha ha! This Mommmy tries to avoid them.
Wendy Greenley
If this book helps kids from getting colds, it’s a good thing. I don’t know if hand washing helps when they all sneeze on each other. Yeah, I got my flu shot last week.
stacy
We need to get our flu shots soon.
Patricia Tilton
This is really a humorous choice — I bet Enzo loves it. And, I actually yawned as I read the last word. Great choice. Think my granddaughter would like this choice.
stacy
He does like this one.
Rhythm
I am fascinated with ripple effects. This one looks right up my alley — I love to clean up snotty faces! And is sounds like it’s a great read aloud! I’ll have to check it out! Thanks!
stacy
Big tissues are needed to clean some of the noses in this ZOO!
Joanna
I kinda liked the slow start! Bless you for this choice!
stacy
It grew on me with multiple reads.
Erik - This Kid Reviews Books
Like Ms. Tilton, I *YAWN* yawned when I read “YAAAAWN” *YAWN* 🙂 hee hee This is a really unique book! Great pick!
stacy
Yawning is so contagious! It’s a fun book
Beth Stilborn
The words used to describe the different animals’ sneezes sound like such fun to dramatize! I can imagine kids laughing themselves silly over this book. Thanks, Stacy!
stacy
It is fun to dramatize!But, the words tripped me up a bit.
Kirsten Larson
Interesting. I was surprised to see it wasn’t about a yawn, but it looks like it ends with a yawn. I’ll have to check this one out.
stacy
Indeed it ends with another contagious action – yawwwwwwwn.
Joanne Roberts
How exciting. New book. New author. New illustrator. And fun words to read aloud. Thank-you!!!!
stacy
Lots of interesting read aloud words.
Vivian Kirkfield
Great pick, Stacy! Looks like a fun zoo book…love the AAAACHOOOO!
I can’t wait to take Jeremy to the zoo…five is a great age for that…and I totally enjoy zoos. Hopefully we will get to go before it turns really cold…but there have been so many other events going on…fall in New England is a busy time.:)
stacy
Have fun Vivian. I love the zoo at my age too.
patientdreamer
Yeah, I love the zoo too. I have to admit I yawned at the end…..that word is damn contagious….lol. Mind you I am reading this at nearly 20 to 1 in the morning.
stacy
I hope you got some rest!
Susanna Leonard Hill
This book sounds like quite a romp! I bet kids would love it! Thanks so much for adding it to the list 🙂
Sandra Ward
We have changed our Handwashing website, and have moved “things” around. I found our link to our Handwashing Resources on your site, and I wanted to let you know about the new look and updated link. The current link you have is “Kindergarten Hand Washing Lesson,” but this link no longer exists. The current link is http://www.hcphes.org/PROJ/HandwashingCurriculum/HandwashingLessonPlan-Kindergarten.pdf. Our New site also has a wealth of information …. You will find the link you need for the Kindergarten Handwashing Lesson and many more resources that we were able to find. http://www.hcphes.org/PROJ/HANDWASHING/index.htm
Thanks,
Sandra Ward
Webmaster
Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services
stacy
Thank you so much for the updated links.