THE MOONLIGHT ZOO

A mysterious zoo gives hope for the rescue of a lost pet.

Eva is getting ready to sleep but can’t stop thinking about her cat, Luna, who has been missing for two days. A strange noise causes Eva to peer under her bed, and suddenly, a whole new world opens up—the Moonlight Zoo. A wolf escort kindly explains that the zoo appears every night to keep lost animals safe and then disappears in the morning. The duo dash through the intricately designed door (with a lattice cutout pattern), hoping to find Luna. Conventional pets (dogs, guinea pigs) mix with wild animals (elephants, penguins, eagles, and more), all set within the mystical landscape of this unusual zoo. Eva bounds from one kingdom to the next, desperately searching. Readers may wonder why the wolf guide saves the obvious stop, Big Cat Kingdom, for last, but the resulting fantastical tour makes up for the misstep. A palette dominated by purples, pinks, greens, and blues, along with die-cut designs and scalloped corners that let readers peek through to the next scene, adds to the dreamy atmosphere. Eva is dark-haired and tan-skinned and uses hearing aids.

An enchanting romp through the imagination.