At the Zoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "At the Zoo" |
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| Single by Simon & Garfunkel | ||||
| from the album Bookends | ||||
| B-side | "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" | |||
| Released | February 27, 1967 | |||
| Recorded | January 8, 1967 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 2:21 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Simon | |||
| Producer(s) | Simon and Garfunkel Bob Johnston |
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| Simon & Garfunkel singles chronology | ||||
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"At the Zoo" is a popular song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. It was released as a single in 1967. The song is one of many that Paul Simon wrote about his hometown, New York City. It tells the story of a fun trip to the Central Park Zoo.
The song was originally written for the movie The Graduate. It was meant for a scene at the San Francisco Zoo. However, the song was not used in the film.
When the singer reaches the zoo in the song, he imagines the animals acting like people. This is called anthropomorphism. For example, he sees the monkeys as "social climbers" and the pigeons as "finks." The song was later used in ads for zoos like the Bronx Zoo and the Oregon Zoo.
The At the Zoo Book
In 1991, Paul Simon released a children's book based on the song. It was also called At the Zoo (ISBN: 0-385-41771-3). The book combines the song's lyrics with beautiful drawings by Valerie Michaut.
To make the book good for kids, Paul Simon made some changes. For instance, in the song, a zookeeper is "fond of rum." In the book, "Rum" becomes the name of a beaver. Also, hamsters in the song "turn on frequently." In the book, they are shown with headlights. This makes the lyrics fun and safe for young readers.
