When Lulu Went to the Zoo

Ahh... the joys of little imaginations at work!

Ellis, Andy.
When Lulu Went to the Zoo.
March 2010.
Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
Review copy provided by publisher.

After four-year old Lulu spends a day at the zoo, she suddenly feels sorry for the animals who are caged and wants them to experience freedom. Being so small, she sneaks into the various cages, setting free the different animals and inviting them home to her house where they can live freely. However, she quickly learns that the animals are not quite free at home and surrenders them back to the zookeepers. Since the animals can no longer live with her, Lulu dreams of a place known as "Lululand," where the animals can have oodles of space.

This story is perfect for preschoolers and early-elementary children, as the simple, rhyming text will appeal to young ears. The illustrations are fun and cheerful, and will easily catch the attention of young children. And of course... the entire idea of "Lululand" will have children imaging what it would be like before the rest of the book is finished being read!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Take a trip to the zoo prior to reading this story. Then, read the story and talk about how the animals might feel living in their zoo habitats. Then, discuss what the animals like that they don't have in their zoo habitats and how their lives might be different. Afterwards, create a classroom/family book titled, Lululand. Have each child create one page of the book, focusing on one specific zoo animal. Ask him/her to use his/her imagination to create a place that has everything that specific animal might want! With older children, you might want to encourage them to research their animal a bit so create a more precise habitat for the given animal!
  

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