Marvelous Kid’s Book: Carolyn Leilogou and “Noah Green: Junior Zoo Keeper”

Last updated on: March 26, 2019 at 8:57 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

Marvelous Kid’s Book: Carolyn Leilogou and “Noah Green: Junior Zoo Keeper” 2019-03-26T20:57:11-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

My children loved animals, loved exotic animals, and often wished to have such jolly friends as pets.

Well, no, but still the desire was natural, harkening back to Eden. For all their problems, zoos are natural to humanity as we long for a day when we can live in peace with our fellow creatures. Humans are by power, rulers of creation, but we naturally love our fellow creatures. We are animals, even if also immortal souls.

As a result, we cannot just “use” animals as we do minerals. We worry about even the circus or the zoo. What to do? The circus has not found a way to survive our worries, but zoos have. They have become habitats to help our fellow animals survive the mistakes we make as conservators of this blue planet.

Carolyn Leilogou is creating a series about a bright girl (Noah Green! Junior Zookeeper!) who reminds me of my own sons and daughters. She is curious, even a bit more so than her parents, and eager to make animal friends.

All that fit our family perfectly and I am guessing will fit your own brood of younglings!

There are good lessons in the book about the relationship between people and wildlife, conservation and grifters who sell exotics for profit. None of these lessons (needful truths!) ruin the story and that is a miracle. This is not one of those “very special episodes” of a series that are all preaching and no plot. Instead, this is a story about a girl who wants a pet, learns what it takes to be a good caregiver to a furry friend, and learns that you cannot get everything you want.

If Noah’s parents are a bit too dim, the author notes this and points out (rightly) that this advances the plot. No spoilers, but the ending will satisfy the pre-teen in anyone with a heart and a mind.

The first chapter books that a child reads often choose between heart and head with the mind coming up short. We follow our hearts in most books with plots. If I wish I could, then I should. This is a book that deals with desire sensibly. The child wishes for a pet, lacks the maturity to raise a dog, and discovers (that for now) she cannot get what she wishes. Reason governs desire.

Thanks be to God, anyone raised on such literature will not view either desire or reason with suspicion. Imagine a generation that gave priority to reason while being honest about wishes. That is a beautiful world. The plot is a dialectic between what we wish could be and what must be and that is a rare delight in a book at this level.

Illustrations do not count in a chapter book as much as a board book, but still matter. The young reader still studies the illustrations for guides to what she is reading in the text. The first time we read a book broken into chapters, the illustrations keep us going. The drawings act as signposts to what we have read and to what might be coming. The cheerful black and white illustrations in the book do this well. They provide continuity and a tip off that (just maybe) the creature in question is not a dog!

Take and Read.

On Books

Previous Post

March 22, 2019

The Shield of Achilles II (Guest Voice James Harrington)

Next Post

March 25, 2019 In the Light of Eternity: Pain and Restitution

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to Ecclesiastes 12, what happens to the human spirit when a person dies?

Select your answer to see how you score.

It ceases to exist It returns to God It remains on earth It is reincarnated

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »