Monday, May 25, 2015

Be WILD about READING this summer!

Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton
“We’re goin’ to the zoo, zoo, zoo!  How about you, you, you?  You can come too, too, too!”
When I think about a zoo trip, this song starts a singin’ in my head!  Tom Paxton’s book includes playful illustrations that convey how you wear a body out having so much fun .  .  . but after resting up, you’re ready to go to the zoo again, again, and again!
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Speaking of a good night’s rest, the zoo animals in this whimsical Peggy Rathmann creation follow the zookeeper home at night from the zoo.  The zookeeper never has a clue, but his wife does!  She escorts the critters back to the zoo, mostly.  Look for the mouse’s balloon on pages of the story.  This book is entertaining and provides an invitation to be sneaky, quiet during yoga class.  “Can you be as quiet as the animals when they are following the zookeeper home?”
The One and Only, Ivan by Katherine Applegate (chapter book) and
Ivan:  The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate (picture book)

From one primate story to the next:  Introducing . . .  The One and Only, Ivan.   This award winning chapter book is a work of fiction but it is inspired by the true story of a gorilla captured as a baby who became the star attraction for a shopping mall in Tacoma Washington for 27 years.  It is a powerful read.  I am inspired about what we CAN do, even when we are limited or “caged.”  The picture book about Ivan shares the true story and includes photos with more info in the back matter.  I shared The One and Only, Ivan with my family.  It’s great for all ages.  The short chapters hook you and keep you turning pages.  Our family enjoyed the privilege of visiting Ivan in Zoo Atlanta a month before he died in August 2012, http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2012/08/21/159542065/famous-gorilla-ivan-dies-at-age-50-an-animal-obituary.  The docent we talked with at Zoo Atlanta had read The One and Only, Ivan and felt the author really captured “the voice” of Ivan.  With older yogis you can engage in some deep thinking and meaningful conversations about animal welfare, discussing the pros and cons of zoo experiences.
My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
I’ve reviewed this book for GFY before but just wanted to mention again.  When digging into the zoo topic, it’s a good fit for thinking of caring and loving the animals.  It’s a great springboard for a fun art project of creating animals out of heart shapes.  
A Children’s Zoo by Tana Hoban
Each animal is described with three words.  Readers have to guess what the animal is!  This book is an oldie, but goodie.  You can create your own zoo book with white chalk on black construction paper.  Love, love, love Tana Hoban’s work.

Life-Size Zoo by Teruyuki Komiya
Awesome, life-size photos, for making a trip to the zoo possible even when the sun isn’t shining .  .  .


 My Side of the Car by Kate Feiffer
Soooo this really happened .  .  .  Jules and his daughter created the story based on the memory of trying to get to the zoo on a rainy day.  What a beautiful book for perspective, point-of-view.  It’s a lesson in how your motivation really shapes what you see!  You can twist this theme around to zero in on intentions and where we put our focus or energy.    
Wild About Us! by Karen Beaumont
My FAVORITE book right now is not a zoo book but it’s about animals, I Don’t Want to Be a Frog! by Dev Petty.  Wild About Us! is a zoo book that shares the same, home-runnin’ theme with I Don’t Want to Be a Frog!.  You gotta be you, and be proud about it!  In Wild About Us!, each animal sports his or her defining characteristic with pride.  You can go back and try to be some of these critters in your yoga class.  Have fun making up some moves for the ones that don’t obviously lend themselves to a yoga posture or breathing technique.  Celebrate individuality and the varied gifts each yogi brings to the mat!

Wild About Books by Judy Sierra
In this Dr. Seuss tribute, Judy Sierra and Marc Brown team up to create a story sharing a bookmobile driving librarian who lends library books to zoo animals.  There’s a GGGGRRRReat book for every reader:  tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. “She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter.”

Be WILD about reading this summer!


Amazon Links:
Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann


Life-Size Zoo by Teruyuki Komiya


My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
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