Wild Zoo Train by Carmela Lavigna Coyle

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Wild Zoo Train by Carmela Lavigna Coyle, illustrated by Steve Gray (Muddy Books, 2017), does not attempt to be a serious nonfiction text about biomes. However, for young students’ introduction to the concept, it would work well to engage the young reader to understand that there are unique biomes in the world, including the North American desert (Canyonlands), the rainforest (Amazon Jungle), African savanna, and the polar desert (Antarctica).

Young children will love the repetitive choo-choo-choo and ding-ding-ding, the animals to find on the page, and the silliness of considering the last destination (the moon) as a similar wild location. To use as a part of a lesson about terrestrial biomes, consider returning to the text to compare and contrast the places visited and give the biome names in preparation for further study.

Reviewed on April 2, 2023

About the author 

Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid is a homeschooling, stay-at-home mother seeking to make the journey of life-long learning fun by reading lots of good books. Rebecca Reads provides reviews of children's literature she has enjoyed with her children; nonfiction that enhances understanding of educational philosophies, history and more; and classical literature that Rebecca enjoys reading.

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