The thrill of discovering anything new beats everything else, be it meeting new people, making new friends, or discovering stuff that you had no idea about. And the excitement is felt by everyone, whether a kid like you who makes the discovery or an elder person like your parents.

But when there is a toddler involved, the introduction needs to be both friendly and welcoming. What Can You See? At the Zoo is one such book that introduces a potential reader to both the joy of reading and meeting animals, making them fall in love with both. It is part of an early non-fiction series for curious minds, and takes them on a journey through an ideal zoo where they can discover cheeky monkeys, tall giraffes and happy hippos!

This book contains everything from interesting facts to impressive illustrations that will delight everyone in the household. If you didn’t know that a parrot could eat fruits and nuts, stick insects disguise themselves as twigs to avoid being eaten, and tortoises like to live in warm places, then this book is for you to discover such interesting information. After all, a book that teaches you that a family of meerkats is called a mob, that tigers like to swim unlike other cats, and that seals swim with the help of their flippers is a must-have, no matter how old you are.

Every page in this all-colour board book is laced with information that would engage the young and the old. The cut-out pages are designed in such a way that toddlers can peep through them and wander around as if they are actually in a zoo. Many hidden details accompany the bright illustrations making this book a perfect gift for a youngster who hasn’t been introduced to animals yet.

It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that the book is a treasure trove of information about zoos that will keep anyone busy. Illustrated by Maria Perera, it brings the readers in contact with the blue frog, the pink flamingo, the red butterfly, and the yellow bananas and adding colours to the checklist. Happy roaming around!

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 20th, 2024