Class Two at the Zoo

Beware the school trip to the zoo! Risk assessment these days may not consider that giant snake, huge reptile, twisty beast, the anaconda, ‘his smile as wide as a crocodile’. ‘They didn’t see that greedy eater, gulp down Gerty and Anita.’ A cautionary tale, it bounces along, begging to be read aloud. The rhymes are memorable, and the Class 2 children with whom I shared this book were chanting them gleefully when later, they read the book together in pairs. The illustrations add hugely to the fun, with pictures and text superbly integrated on each spread, creating a perfect balance. There are great opportunities for prediction, sentences being split between one and the following spread, demanding skill in understanding and in reading the pictures. The use of bold text gives emphasis and tension, and although this is an absolute horror story for any teacher, children will find it enormous fun. A must have for every Class 2!