FICTION

The Zoo Inside Me

by Ruth Doyle (text) & illus. by Yessica Baeten
Andersen. Oct. 2024. 32p. Tr $18.99 ISBN 9798765643501.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2–With exuberance and energy, this picture book compares some of the big emotions children feel to various animals and offers them a language for expressing themselves. The protagonist of the story has some huge feelings and chooses to act out. This leads to a few misunderstandings, but by using words to communicate with others, the characters are able to get along and get what they want. This is an excellent message for young readers. The artwork is busy, brightly colored, and almost folkloric. Children may enjoy seeing the combinations of people and animals; this may spark conversations about how animals express emotions as well as how people do.
VERDICT A conversation starter, this picture book gives the very young a vocabulary for discussing feelings and would be a good addition to the SEL shelves.
Reviewed by ­Debbie Tanner , Sep 01, 2024

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