'With characteristic self-effacement, she puts the escapades of charismatic animals ahead of her own feelings.' The Guardian. When George Mottershead moved to the village of Upton-by-Chester in 1930 to realise his dream of opening a zoo without bars, his four-year-old daughter June had no idea how extraordinary her life would become. Soon her best friend was a chimpanzee called Mary, lion cubs and parrots were vying for her attention in the kitchen, and finding a bear tucked up in bed was no more unusual than talking to a tapir about granny's lemon curd. Pelican, penguin or polar bear - for June, they were simply family. The early years were not without their obstacles for the Mottersheads. They were shunned by the local community, bankruptcy threatened and then World War Two began. Nightly bombing raids turned the dream into a nightmare and finding food for the animals became a constant challenge. Yet George's resilience, resourcefulness and tenacity eventually paid off. Now over 80 years since June first set foot in the echoing house, Chester Zoo has achieved worldwide renown. Here, in her enthralling memoir, June Mottershead chronicles the heartbreak, the humour, the trials and triumphs, above all the characters, both human and animal, who shaped her childhood.

Depicts the variety of animals that live in a zoo.

Provides a behind-the-scenes look at zoo animals and describes how zookeepers care for, train, and interact with the animals who live there.--

A lively and lyrical picture book jaunt from actor and author John Lithgow! Oh, children! Remember! Whatever you may do, Never play music right next to the zoo. They’ll burst from their cages, each beast and each bird, Desperate to play all the music they’ve heard. A concert gets out of hand when the animals at the neighboring zoo storm the stage and play the instruments themselves in this hilarious picture book based on one of John Lithgow’s best-loved tunes.

They say a leopard can’t change his spots–but Spot sure can! Babies and toddlers will love pointing out the colors of his changing spots in this delightful, rhyming adaptation of Robert Lopshire’s classic Bright and Early Book.

Left home alone for the evening, Erika and Patrick discover a mysterious box in the attic, and when they take a peek inside the box, animals begin to pour out, turning their world upside down.

When little Lulu gets an idea, watch out! After a chat with the animals at the zoo, she sneaks all of the animals into her house, where “there’s room for you all, from elephant to mouse.” Or so she thinks, until she tries to fit a bear into the bathtub . . . Before the zookeepers can bring the animals back to the zoo, though, bold Lulu dreams up a new place for her animal friends to live. And four-year-olds can be very persuasive. Children will love this rollicking, read-aloud tale matched by hilarious illustrations.