Fur, Fins, and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo (Incredible Lives for Young Readers (ILYR))

This beautiful book tells the story of how zoos began. The period art is outstanding and reveals the setting when and where the story tooks place.Bartlett loved animals and discovered how poorly they were cared for in carnivals and circuses. He wanted to provide children and adults a place where animals could be seen but cared for in human ways. An environmentalist he worked hard to provide the best situation for humans and animals.

Really cute book. Made my son want to work with animals even more!

My son checked this book out from the school library multiple times so I bought it for him. Great book about the birth of the modern zoo.

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This exceptionally well written and illustrated book should be an essential part of every child's library. It is informational, colorful and interesting. What a pleasant way for a child to learn!

This is an absolutely beautiful book that, while geared to kids, will engage adults.

wonderful book in every way ... story .... art .... and how it can be used.

"Fur, Fins, and Feathers" is everything I want in a picture book. Clear and bright illustrations accompany text that gives a biography of Abraham Dee Bartlett, superintendent of the London Zoo for thirty-eight years in the 1800s. This book has the right amount of sentences and information per page*, and the words are laid out in a flowing, readable way that shows good use of space and respect for the pictures. I loved the timeline at the end of the book. Not only did it show the main events of Mr. Bartlett’s life, it also listed other important events of the day, enabling me to put Abraham Dee Bartlett’s accomplishments into perspective with the times.Perhaps one of the most important aspects of Fur, Fins, and Feathers is that it tells a truthful story while subtly presenting readers with the message that nature and wild animals should be protected. I am very glad to say that this is accomplished without ever using fear or shock tactics.**If I were on the Caldecott review committee, I would say, “Hey, everyone, how about "Fur, Fins, and Feathers"?Notes: * and ** expand in a couple of sentences my own opinions, which colored my review. You may or may not care to read them.*I find picture book word-on-page count to be very important! A good informational picture book should have enough sentences that the story can really be told (not condensed down to window-dressing), yet not so many sentences that the reader gets fidgety trying to wade through them and get to the next page and picture.**I have been frustrated in recent years by media’s response to nature in crisis. It seems to me that graphically telling children how bad their elders have been to animals in the past is not at all an effective way to inspire them to mature into people who choose to protect our world. Overwhelmingly sad or shocking words just depress readers and make them tune out. This book did not sugar-coat the past, but it focused on a story of how one positive-acting man motivates many people to view nature in a healthier way.I received a free early-reviewer copy of "Fur, Fins, and Feathers" with the understanding that I would write an honest review of the book. I am pleased to post these wholeheartedly enthusiastic words.