Aussie Kids: Meet Zoe and Zac at the Zoo; Belinda Murrell, illustrated by David Hardy

The Aussie Kids series of books is superb and this is another great addition. On this occasion readers find themselves heading to New South Wales where Zoe and Zac are celebrating their seventh birthdays and are in a for a very special treat.

Best friends Zoe and Zac live at the zoo in Dubbo. Today is a very special day as they are both celebrating their seventh birthdays and Zoe’s mum has promised them that they can join her for a day of work at the zoo and help feed the animals. All the animals are keen to be fed, all except Amali the lion who has an extra-special birthday surprise for Zoe and Zac…

A story full of warmth, heart and a lot of very hungry animals. I love the idea of living at the zoo and being visited by the kangaroos, emus and koalas and being able to spot giraffes and zebras through the kitchen window. It is lovely to see the wider representation of family dynamics and people from diverse backgrounds included in the story. Zoe has a stepdad and Zac’s family are BAME.

Woven into the narrative is a nice message about the good work that zoos do in protecting animals from extinction. At the end of the read there are some fun facts about some very sleepy lions, some not so sleepy giraffes, some incredibly deadly meerkats and some wonderful wombats.

The story is easily accessible for emerging readers who are new to the world of chapter books. The story itself is fifty-one pages long, the font is large and nicely spaced out and there are plenty of illustrations in shades of orange throughout.

Recommended for 6+.