Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo

Book: Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo
Author: John Lithgow
Illustrated by: Leeza Hernandez
Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Price: $17.99 USA and $19.99 Canada
Hard Cover ISBN: 978-1-4424-6744-6
Reviewed by: Allen Klingelhoets

This is an enjoyable 37 page story. I liked how also included CD with John Lithgow reading story accompanied by musical instruments. I liked the imagination of having orchestra concert of music next to a zoo. Here is what happens A child boy goes to concert next to a zoo with his sister and parents. He falls asleep during long concert in chair next to his sister and Mother and Dad. The boy is never identified by name. The music than attracted animals to escape from their cages and come to band shell and chased the human musicians away. The animals were desperate to put on own concert under band shell. The Lions, elephants, bears and raccoons stole away the trumpets and flutes and the bassoons. The monkeys played fiddle, the bison’s played bass. The percussions were manned by the camel. The yak played the sax.

The bonobo played oboe.

The ferret played the flute.

The jackal played the bassoon.

The hippo replaced the tuba musician and tooted “By the Light of the Full Moon.”

When the animals finished for audience they bowed and took off tuxedos and evening gowns and descended off stage. There were even Siberian Tigers, Mongolian goats, and pink flamingos doing there version of concert. Than animals returned to zoo cages.

I got the feeling that this was boys dream. This is what boy thought when he fell to sleep watching human orchestra play music. His sister’s closing words at end of story were” You better wake up or were leaving you here!”

I thought rather amusing children’s story by John Lithgow. I think hard to remember that most children’s book are wrote by adults. John Lithgow was born in 1945. I think he wrote a very enjoyable story “Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo.”



Allen Klingelhoets