Kitty's excited to be going to the zoo. Her big sister Clara thinks it will be boring! But when they get there, there's so much going on! They get soaked by an elephant, see a funny monkey fill his cheeks with food and find out what bats use for a blanket.

But whose pictures of the animals are best, Kitty's drawings or Clara's photos?

Follow the sisters around Dublin Zoo and meet the cheeky giraffe, the swimming tiger and lots, lots more.

An engaging and entertaining tale of the sister relationship and the struggle between nature and technology, this story brings a visit to the zoo, one of the childhood favourite experiences, to life with amusing, quirky, and delightful illustrations.

About the Author
Sarah Bowie is an illustrator, author and cartoonist. Originally from Dublin, she now lives in Wexford. She is a founder member of The Comics Lab and her work has been published in a range of books, comics and magazines. Sarah Bowie's has published two picture books with O'Brien Press, Let's See Ireland and We're Going to the Zoo. Her picture book Kevin's In A Mood is shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2023. Sarah Bowie is an illustrator, author and cartoonist. Originally from Dublin, she now lives in Wexford. She is a founder member of The Comics Lab and her work has been published in a range of books, comics and magazines. Sarah Bowie's has published two picture books with O'Brien Press, Let's See Ireland and We're Going to the Zoo. Her picture book Kevin's In A Mood is shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2023.

Reviews

Fun and comical ... positive book with a subtle message

-- herfamily.ie

Sarah Bowie has funny bones ... Sarah Bowie's newest offering begins with familiar landmarks that are all part of a grand day out in the capital's zoo. Kitty's comedic drawings of each animal as we follow her around the zoo are reminiscent of Mo Willems. Guaranteed to inspire much more artistry on family trips

-- Inis Magazine

beautifully illustrated, fun, hardback book that will capture the attention and imagination of young children ... would inspire children to make a list of animals they would like to visit on their next visit to the zoo and encourage them to learn more about the animals

-- InTouch Magazine

filled with unusual and memorable facts

-- Sunday Business Post

a day out at the zoo is the primary subject of Sarah Bowie's witty picture book, but beneath the description of a family's adventures is a wealth of ideas and provocations ... The mix of family relationships, tech versus old fashioned methods, and animal information is very neatly done, and Bowie's cartoon-style illustrations capture Kitty and Clara's characters perfectly. I particularly like her depictions of Clara in her moodiest teen strop. There's lots to talk about, lots to get children thinking, and it makes the idea of drawing to convey information or to map out your experiences really appealing

-- Books for Keeps

we fell in love with this pretty book ... beautiful illustrations

-- Woman's Way

innovative ... filled with unusual and memorable facts, Bowie gives us page by page portraits of a variety of animals in a comic, naif style that will surely encourage readers to make their own mini-catalogues on their next trip to the zoo; the young readers at my house have already started

-- Irish Times

Sarah Bowie ... lets rip in a wonderfully spirited and imaginative way ... the simple yet clever story about sibling rivalry, creativity and working together is brought to vibrant life with Bowie's distinctive cartoon-inspired illustrations and unusual colour palate. Each spread zings with warm orange and sky blue and the thick black outlines and large Manga-like eyes make the characters lift off the page. This handsome hardback picture book is striking, bold and, most of all, fun!

-- Irish Independent

A funny, fast-paced, fresh and childlike view of two sisters, nature vs technology and a great day out!

-- Fallen Star Stories

It's really lovely ... funny ... and you learn lots about the zoo

-- Bumbles of Rice

lively

-- Irish Examiner

I thought some bits were a bit funny and it was a brilliant book ... I would give it a 10 out of 10 because I really enjoyed it and you get to learn interesting stuff ... What was my favourite bit - The Macaques pink butt

-- Eva-Lily, Realt Na Mara Girls School, Donacarney, Co Meath * seomraranga.com *

an illustrator using her artistic licence to impressive effect

-- Evening Echo

A day out to the zoo is exciting when you're young like Kitty, but older sister Clara thinks it will be boring. When they get there, Kitty spends all her day making wonderful drawings of the animals; these are a key part of the book and are so entertaining and informative. Gradually, Clara joins in and the book has a superb and very unexpected ending. This is a really unusual and extremely effective book which takes a sideways look at the all-encompassing use of technology - and the alternatives

-- Parents in Touch

Sarah Bowie's cool cartoony illustrations are full of life and vitality, seamlessly mixing pages of animal facts, with funny, sharply observed illustrations of the two girls

-- Lovereading4kids



Book Information
ISBN 9781847179494
Author Sarah Bowie
Format Hardback
Page Count 32
Imprint O'Brien Press Ltd
Publisher O'Brien Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 421g
Dimensions(mm) 261mm * 215mm * 11mm