children

Animals in the Zoo is a beautifully illustrated board book where kids can sing and act out the motions and sounds of their favorite zoo animals. 

The authors, Beth and William Hoos, live in Aspinwall with their three young children. It has taken two years to complete the project, and they are very excited about the book. The book was a real team effort combining Beth’s zoo and animal background with Willy’s business and marketing experience. Support these local authors and local retailers by buying the book at Aspinwall Bookshop or directly at http://www.animalsinthezoo.com.

The book idea emerged from Beth’s experience in zoo education at Zoo Atlanta where she designed children’s programs.  Her experience merging activities about animal behavior into engaging, interactive, and fun programs for preschool age children eventually led to the idea for the new version of the classic song “The Wheels on the Bus.”  As their own children embraced the new lyrics and started singing the song on road trips to the Carolinas and around town, they decided to share the fun through the creation of a board book.

 “As we planned out the book, we approached watercolor artist Coe Steinwart to be our illustrator. Our family had come to love her illustrations in the award winning book, Elf on the Shelf.  Coe loved the idea and embraced our vision beyond what we could have hoped,” says Beth Joy Hoos, author.

Each watercolor illustration depicts an animal displaying a natural behavior as well as children playing and acting in a similar way. While the orangutans are featured swinging through the trees, the kids are swinging on the playground monkey bars.

"As the illustrations developed, the bright, clear flow of watercolors helped me give each animal and child in the book action with an easy spirit and a sense of built in whimsy and fun!” says Coe Steinwart, the book’s illustrator. “Meet the purple elephant reaching its trunk high, the lion’s very loud roar, the blue snake slithering through the grass and my favorite, the pandas eating bamboo!”

She continues, “It was a delight for me to work with Willy and Beth and share their enthusiasm for this special book that so beautifully encourages a child's respect and insight into animal behavior."

Young children begin to make a connection and develop an appreciation for these exotic or endangered animals by imitating their motions and sounds to the classic tune.  Young children get into this wonderful learning action quickly and love it!

Visit the http://www.animalsinthezoo.com for ordering information, to view a fun YouTube video or browse to the signed giclee prints for decorating children’s rooms.  

Animals in the Zoo is available locally at the Aspinwall Bookshop (20 Brillant Ave.), Rosebuds (338 1^st St.) and from independent book sellers nationwide, from Amazon.com and direct from the website http://www.animalsinthezoo.com. Support our local authors and our local retailers by buying the book and spreading the word!