For children 5+ this is the story of a sad little girl who has no family and feels, alone and friendless. At the Zoo she feels part of the family of animals and when the group she has come with, leave without her she has a grand time playing with the different animals and finally falls asleep cuddled up to a tiger, where she is found by the Keeper and his wife. They call for a lady to take her away, but she doesn’t want to leave the Zoo, and anyway the keepers want to keep her, so she stays in the zoo, and spends her days feeling wanted and playing happily with the animals. The story is told with a minimum number of words, it is the illustrations that tell more. There is a dreamlike quality to the whole book, and as it says on the cover it is ‘a heart-warming tale of lost-and-found love and belonging. For an adopted or fostered child this could mean so much. Rebecca Elliott’s books are special. I loved this one.

Rebecca Elliott's ?Zoo Girl? is a picture book with minimal but powerful text and moving, sombre illustrations. Children will easily engage with the emotions of a little girl who longs to be loved. Accidentally left behind on a trip to the zoo, this lonely child finds affection from the animals who care for her, but it is the zoo-keepers who ultimately offer her the love and family that she craves. Children will talk endlessly about this book, and teachers will love it. Marilyn Brocklehurst, The Bookseller