Zoo, by Anthony Browne

Synopsis: 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.

Activity: Imagine that you are one of the animals in the zoo. Draw and describe your dream.

Piggybook, by Anthony Browne

Synopsis: In this moralistic fable, the overworked and under-appreciated Mrs. Piggott leaves her swinish husband and two sons to fend for themselves, and they literally turn into pigs. There are exceedingly clever illustrations: even before the porcine evolution of the males, there are hints of piggery everywhere in the father's lapel carnation, the boys' upturned noses, a piggy bank, a light switch. After the transformation, pigs turn up everywhere, including on the wallpaper (which was formerly a rose design). Browne also uses a sly before-and-after technique in his portrayal of Mrs. Piggott, who starts out as a drab, shadowy figure, face averted, while the males are brightly drawn in full light and full-face. After the victory for women's rights, however, Mrs. P. is drawn in an equal style.

Activity (8 years old): Imagine that you are one of the two Piggott boys. Write a letter persuading your mother to come home.

Activity (7 years old): Draw a picture of your mother or father doing some activity in the house. Write a sentence to describe this picture.

Gorilla, by Anthony Browne

Synopsis: The classic story of a lonely girl, a friendly gorilla and their amazing night out by a Hans Christian Andersen Award-winner.