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Wild About Books    by Judy Sierra & Marc Brown Amazon.com order for
Wild About Books
by Judy Sierra
Order:  USA  Can
Knopf, 2004 (2004)
Hardcover
* * *   Reviewed by J. A. Kaszuba Locke

Librarian Molly McGerr mistakenly 'drives her bookmobile into the zoo'. However, she makes the best of the situation. As she begins reading aloud from one of Dr. Seuss's books, Molly catches the attention of the zoo wildlife.

Though resistant at first, the animals are soon anxious to learn what reading is all about. Termites to kangaroos, giraffes and hippos too, choose 'thin books', 'fat books', and 'Cat In The Hat' books. Molly fills each request, even for a waterproof book for an otter, 'who never went swimming without Harry Potter'. Molly's lessons on books extend to 'treating books right'! Zoo residents soon begin writing stories of their own, and the scorpion gives review ratings including, 'pretentious', 'boring', and 'stinks'. The hippo is awarded the 'Zoolitzer Prize' for a book entitled 'Mud In My Blood' Then, to no one's surprise, the animals build a 'Zoobrary', which they tend to themselves.

Wild About Books is set to entrancing rhyme, and is dedicated to Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. Judy Sierra, Ph.D. is known for her folktales, including Silly and Sillier. Readings in schools and libraries have helped her learn what makes children laugh. Marc Brown's paintings render bright colored backgrounds and vividly-defined animals, whose expressions are eye-catching. Brown is the creator of Arthur the aardvark books and TV series. Wild About Books is a guaranteed child's (adults too!) delight, to be read over and again. A highly recommended book - period.

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