Read, Read, Read said the Baby: Going to the zoo with Lily and Milo by Pauline Oud

This review was previously published. I have rewritten and edited it.

The text of this book is a simple narration of Lily and Milo's trip to the zoo, with questions to spark discussion. The page will have a description of the animal and a sound, then an opportunity to guess what they will see next.

I liked the art style; very cute and child-friendly, with bulgy animals and light colors with a kind of white wash. I like the interactive aspect of the "story" as well. The book is 8x8 and, while not exactly a board book, has thick, slick pages and is closer in length to a board book than a picture book.

However, the text and art are badly designed. The first picture asks who is hiding behind the gate. You see two giraffes peeking over it, but the answer is actually a parrot - all of which you can see is the tips of three feathers. It asks who lives in the sand and the answer is elephants (do elephants live in sand? I don't think so?). Polar bears on the icebergs, yes, but I've never seen an actual iceberg in the zoo. The giraffes live "between the tall trees" which is also kind of confusing.

Verdict: For the potential audience, it's too complicated and confusing. This might be due at least partially to poor translation, but overall the book doesn't combine art and text well.

ISBN: 9781605370934; Published 2010 by Clavis; Borrowed from another library in my consortium