picture book (zoos, animals, inventions; preschoolers and up - great for one-on-one reading)
* Maybe features diverse characters: The main character is somewhat tanned but very rosy-cheeked, a brown-eyed, dark-haired child that might be interpreted as hispanic or asian (or mixed heritage), but could also be seen as white.
* detailed pictures make this less than optimal for storytime (unless you've got a small enough crowd)--the small-panel and larger-panel pictures also contain a lot of little hidden jokes suitable for parents reading to their child (in typical Adam Rex style). You can still make it work for a crowd, however, esp. if you do the various animal voices, as the repetition of the animals pssting the child makes it easy to follow the story, but there may be some visuals that require description and the full effect of the book wouldn't be appreciated from afar/in a larger crowd. ( )

I love Adam Rex's quirky talents. ( )

Oh, I find this very clever, and funny. A kid goes to the zoo and is surprised to encounter a variety of animals requesting she pick up things for them. What do they need all this stuff for? They have a project. The illustrations are very clever: Signs and dialog, and the interplay between the kid and the animals. Little kids can enjoy the persistent refrain of "pssst" and the idea of animals talking to them. ( )

A little girl goes to the zoo and their are animals that ask her for favors. They want her to buy things for them. She is confused why they all need so many things but goes to the store for them anyways. ( )

This is a fun book where the reader will quite possibly laugh out loud. There are some panels that the reader may leave repeating in the mind. The characters in the book are amusing and the story flows really well without actual narrative. Brilliant way of writing and keeps the reader wanting more. I can see students reading this again and again, and then checking it out just so they can show others how much fun it is. I love the art, as the visual characters match the story so well. As a whole group read aloud though, it would be hard pressed to work. This is one for a one on one reading or personal enjoyment for self or student.
Truly nothing glaring comes out of what curriculum use can be derived from this book aside for creating a writing project where students pick another animal at the zoo and create a "Pssst" situation. Discussion of the mixture of dialogue and reading between the lines (in a post modern fashion) in another possibility, although a lot of clear discussion will need to be had. ( )