Book excerpt: Welcome to the Zoo... How would you like to travel from a tropical rain forest to the African plains, and down into a deep canyon all in one day? Then get ready for a wild trip to the zoo and up close look at all kinds of animals! See snow leopards lurking on a ledge, zebras and ostriches running across the open plains, and a tiger splashing in a stream. Find out everything--from what elephants roll in after their baths to which bird might laugh at your jokes. Come take a visit to an amazing zoo! Imagine traveling from a lush tropical rain forest, to a deep and mysterious canyon, to the wide-open African plains—all in one day! In this tour of a modern-day zoo, visitors get to see how animals really live. They’ll learn everything from what elephants like to roll around in after their baths to what’s being done to preserve wildlife. Written and illustrated by the inimitable Aliki, this successor to the highly popular titles My Visit to the Dinosaurs and My Visit to the Aquarium is one of the best ways ever for a young child to visit the zoo. ‘Aliki’s accessible text and lush illustrations bring the animal world to life.’ —School Library Journal ‘A fine picture book.’ —Kirkus Reviews