If I Ran the Zoo facts for kids
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| Author | Dr. Seuss |
|---|---|
| Original title | If I Got to the Zoo |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Redbook (magazine) Random House (book) |
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Publication date
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1950 (renewed in 1977) |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 40 |
| ISBN | 978-0-394-80081-3 |
| OCLC | 470411 |
| Preceded by | Bartholomew and the Oobleck |
| Followed by | Scrambled Eggs Super! |
If I Ran the Zoo is a fun children's book by Dr. Seuss. It was first published in 1950. Dr. Seuss wrote it in his special rhyming style. He also drew all the pictures himself.
Contents
What the Book is About
This book tells the story of a boy named Gerald McGrew. He visits a zoo and thinks about how he would run it. Gerald decides the animals there are not exciting enough.
If he were in charge, he would let all the old animals go free. Then, he would find new, super strange creatures. He imagines many wild and funny animals. These include a lion with ten feet!
Gerald also dreams of the Fizza-ma-Wizza-ma-Dill. This is "the world's biggest bird from the island of Gwark." It eats only pine trees and spits out the bark.
The pictures in the book get wilder and wilder. Gerald imagines traveling to far-off places. He catches each amazing creature. Then, he brings them all back to his "new Zoo, McGrew Zoo." He also dreams of everyone praising his amazing new zoo.
Other Appearances of the Animals
Some animals from If I Ran the Zoo have appeared in other shows.
TV Special Creatures
They were in a part of The Hoober-Bloob Highway. This was a 1975 CBS TV special. In the show, Hoober-Bloob babies can choose what they want to be. Mr. Hoober-Bloob shows them many different animals. Some of these animals are from If I Ran the Zoo.
These creatures include Obsks and a flock of Wild Bippo-No-Bungus. There's also a Tizzle-Topped Tufted Mazurka. Other animals are a Big-Bug-Who-Is-Very-Surprising, Chuggs, and a Deer with Horns-That-Are-Just-A-Bit-Queer. You can also see a New Sort-Of-A-Hen, an Elephant-Cat, and an Iota.
Movie Characters
Some animals also appeared in the 2008 animated movie Horton Hears a Who!. Palooskis, like Mrs. Quilligan and her daughter Jessica, are in the film. Other unnamed animals, including Glummox Mom and her daughter Angela, are also seen. A Deer Whose-horns-are-connected-from-one-to-the-other appears too. They all live in the Jungle of Nool.
The Word "Nerd"
Many people believe If I Ran the Zoo is the first book to print the word "nerd". However, the word is not used in the way we use it today. In the book, a "Nerd" is just the name of an imaginary creature. It appears in a line where Gerald says he will bring back many strange animals.
Theme Park Fun
This Dr. Seuss book is also the main idea for a play area. You can find it at Universal Islands of Adventure. This small play area is in the part of the park called Seuss Landing.
See also
In Spanish: Si yo dirigiera el Zoológico para niños
