From Publishers Weekly
Browne ( Gorilla ; Willy the Wimp ) again exhibits his inimitable dry wit, describing a less than idyllic family outing to the zoo. The young narrator paints an amusingly bleak picture of the day's incidents: Dad blames him when he and his brother fight during the slow, traffic-clogged trip to the zoo; Dad and Mum insist on viewing the boring animals first; and it seems that lunch time will never arrive. Worse yet, through it all, their buffoonish father embarrasses them with his relentless antics and jokes. But a lunch of burgers, fries, beans and ice cream--and a stop at the gift shop--save the day. Browne's effectively stark, magnificently realistic illustrations of the zoo animals offer a distinct contrast to his clever renditions of the supposedly human visitors to the zoo, many of whom bear an uncanny resemblance to the creatures in the cages. Younger readers may not appreciate Browne's cunning comment on human nature, or the engaging irony of Mum's closing comment: "I don't think the zoo really is for animals . . . I think it's for people." All ages. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Who's looking in through the bars of the zoo cages? And who's looking out? That is what Browne's asking when he takes us along with a boy, his younger brother, mother, and father on a visit to the zoo . . . Browne is just as sly as ever
. . . He brings the surreal and the real together to give us a world transformed. This time, however, he challenges us to examine not only the things we take for granted, but also the way we are." --Starred, Booklist

"Browne again exhibits his inimitable dry wit . . . Browne's effectively stark, magnificently realistic illustrations of the zoo animals offer a distinct contrast to his clever renditions of the supposedly human visitors to the zoo, many of whom bear an uncanny resemblance to the creatures in the cages." --Starred, Publishers Weekly


Review
"Who's looking in through the bars of the zoo cages? And who's looking out? That is what Browne's asking when he takes us along with a boy, his younger brother, mother, and father on a visit to the zoo . . . Browne is just as sly as ever
. . . He brings the surreal and the real together to give us a world transformed. This time, however, he challenges us to examine not only the things we take for granted, but also the way we are." --Starred, Booklist

"Browne again exhibits his inimitable dry wit . . . Browne's effectively stark, magnificently realistic illustrations of the zoo animals offer a distinct contrast to his clever renditions of the supposedly human visitors to the zoo, many of whom bear an uncanny resemblance to the creatures in the cages." --Starred, Publishers Weekly


Book Description
Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal


Card catalog description
A boy endures a tedious visit to the zoo with his family.

About the Author
Anthony Browne is the author and illustrator of many highly acclaimed books for children, including My Dad, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and Gorilla, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal. In 2000 he received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his contribution to children's literature. He lives in Kent, England.



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Browne ( Gorilla ; Willy the Wimp ) again exhibits his inimitable dry wit, describing a less than idyllic family outing to the zoo. The young narrator paints an amusingly bleak picture of the day's incidents: Dad blames him when he and his brother fight during the slow, traffic-clogged trip to the zoo; Dad and Mum insist on viewing the boring animals first; and it seems that lunch time will never arrive. Worse yet, through it all, their buffoonish father embarrasses them with his relentless antics and jokes. But a lunch of burgers, fries, beans and ice cream--and a stop at the gift shop--save the day. Browne's effectively stark, magnificently realistic illustrations of the zoo animals offer a distinct contrast to his clever renditions of the supposedly human visitors to the zoo, many of whom bear an uncanny resemblance to the creatures in the cages. Younger readers may not appreciate Browne's cunning comment on human nature, or the engaging irony of Mum's closing comment: ``I don't think the zoo really is for animals . . . I think it's for people.'' All ages. (Feb.)


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