My Heart Is Like a Zoo

Written & illustrated by Michael Hall

Explore emotions through colorful heart-shaped animals in a playful zoo.

5.9/7 Bookroo experts·4.0/5 Goodreads · 2,661 ratings

34 pages

$9.99Save 4%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In 'My Heart Is Like a Zoo,' discover a vibrant world where hearts transform into playful animals. Young readers will explore emotions like hope and happiness through bold, graphic art. With over 300 hearts to count, this engaging book invites children to learn about feelings, numbers, and creativity. Perfect for little hands, it sparks conversations about emotions and inspires art projects at home or in the classroom. Dive into this menagerie of love and see how a simple shape can express a world of emotions.

From the publisher

The New York Times bestseller My Heart Is Like a Zoo features bright colors, simple sentences, playful animals, and more than 300 hearts for children to count and enjoy. Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick says, “Starting with one simple shape, Michael Hall shows us a nearly infinite number of ways to make a menagerie of love.”

This board book edition of the award-winning picture book is perfect for little hands and the very youngest readers, who will learn that a heart can be hopeful, silly, happy, rugged, snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and author-artist Michael Hall captures each one with his bold, graphic artwork. An ideal springboard for conversations about emotions, and for introducing concepts, math, and art projects in the classroom and at home. School Library Journal called it an “outstanding choice for one-on-one sharing.”

At a glance

Format
Pages: 34
Reading age: 3–5
Audience: Board

Themes & topics

Books about animals Books about valentines Books about the zoo Books about feelings and emotions Books about social themes

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.9

out of 7

7.0

“LOVE this book! First off, it includes animals that are less commonly used in books. Second, all of the illustrations use hearts in creating their shapes! Third, the similes on each page are tender and sweet!”

B is for Bookworm

Trusted reviewer

5.0

“While it's the creativity of the illustrations that really makes this a great addition to a young reader's library, the text is also smart and wraps up very well with a clever ending that ties the whole book together.”

The Goodfather

Trusted reviewer

6.0

“I am amazed at how creatively Michael Hall illustrates so many different animals, somehow also communicating their size and character in blocks of bold color. Told in rhyming couplets with great vocabulary the animals engage in some typical and some zany activities. At the end of the sleepy zookeeper's day, it all makes perfect sense. This is a favorite with my grandson and I am happy to read it again and again.”

Grammy

Trusted reviewer

6.5

“This book is amazing and I love it so much! The illustrations are incredibly clever (all made out of hearts), and the rhyme scheme and cadence are FANTASTIC. In terms of content, the exposure it gives to a range of emotions in a child-accessible way fraught with silliness and similies is delightful.”

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one