Lunch at the Zoo: What Zoo Animals Eat and Why

By Joyce Altman

Book Overview

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what zoo animals eat, and why. How do you feed a hungry crocodile without becoming dinner yourself? What do you feed a baby porcupine? Do elephants need vitamin pills? In the wild, animals can usually find the foods they need to eat. But zoo animals can't go out and search for their own meals. Instead, nutritionists must discover what foods each animal needs to stay healthy and happy. Whether serving lunch to poisonous snakes, making dinner for a thousand animals at once, or caring for babies who have lost their mothers, life for the zoo staff is never dull. This fascinating and informative book looks behind the scenes at some of the largest zoos in the country to discover what--and how--they feed their animals.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805060707
• ISBN13: 9780805060706
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 88 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.7" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 7 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 5

Customer Reviews

sometimes interesting

This book was interesting in some parts, but in some parts it was boring. I especially liked learning how zoo keepers hid vitamins in sweet fruits, like an apple, for many of the animals. But, the beginning was boring, because it hadn't gotten into the part about feeding the animals. (4th grader, assisted by my mom)

Clear, fun, and informative text

In the wild, animals can usually find the right things to eat. But zoo animals can't search for their own meals; they must rely on the people who care for them. Nutritionists and zookeepers must discover what foods each animal needs to stay healthy and happy within the confines of the modern zoo. And they have to know how to serve lunch to a poisonous snake, make dinner for a thousand animals at once, feed babies who have lost their mothers, provide the nutrients rare animals need to successfully procreate and nurse their offspring, and more. Very highly recommended for school and community library pet/wildlife collections, Lunch At The Zoo: What Zoo Animals Eat And Why is a splendid introduction to this complex subject as it takes young readers behind the scenes at some of the largest zoos in the country to discover what (and how) their animals are fed. Joyce Altman's clear, fun, and informative text is nicely illustrated throughout by black and white photography, and illustrations by Rick Chrustowski.