March 1, 2016
A girl who can talk to animals helps a lonely new arrival at the zoo. Zoe Parker lives at her great-uncle's Rescue Zoo, where her veterinarian mother doctors the animals that Great-Uncle Horace saves from bad situations the world over. But Zoe has a secret--ever since her sixth birthday, she's been able to communicate with animals. The zoo's run by Mr. Pinch ("If you ask me, this zoo needs more rules and less fun"). One third of the way in, the main plot finally starts with a rescued lion cub's arrival. But the starving lion cub refuses to eat; Rory, as the Kenyan lion calls himself, is too sad and lonely from missing his family. Zoe chats with the zoo's other lion--grumpy, anti-social Leonard--and learns that he's pretty lonely too. Guessing that the two of them can solve each other's loneliness, she persuades her mother to put them in adjacent enclosures. When controlling Mr. Pinch learns of this, he interferes to spite Zoe--an unlikely move. Zoe's talent is never explained, and Cobb is overreliant on exclamation points to engage her readers. Williams depicts the human characters as white in her grayscale vignettes, often poorly reproduced. Kids wanting more Rescue Zoo stories need not wait: The Puzzled Penguin will be simultaneously released. The Doctor Dolittle premise and kid-friendly setting don't make up for pacing, plot, and writing weaknesses. (Fantasy. 5-8)
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March 1, 2016
Gr 1-3-Animal lovers will delight in this new beginner chapter book series featuring a young girl named Zoe, who has a secret ability to talk to and understand animals. She and her sidekick Meep, a mouse lemur, live in her great-uncle's zoo for rescued animals. In The Lonely Lion Cub, an orphaned cub comes to the zoo. Poor Rory is so lonely that he won't eat. It's up to Zoe to come up with a plan. She decides to pair the cub with the "grumpiest, growliest animal in the whole zoo," in the hopes that will they become friends and keep each other company. There is the expected happy resolution when Leonard the older lion accepts the cub because he, too, is lonely. In The Puzzled Penguin, a newly arrived penguin chick doesn't think she's a penguin, because she can't swim. Zoe comes to the rescue, helping Pip get over her fear by swimming with the chick herself. Each gentle tale features soft pencil illustrations throughout that depict warm and cuddly zoo animals and the intrepid Zoe. A generous font size and relatively short chapters make this series ideal for readers who like the "Animal Ark" or "Puppy Place" books (both Scholastic). VERDICT This exceedingly sweet series is an additional purchase for independent readers and animal lovers.-Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX
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