I was trying to plan a “wild” birthday party for my son, and all the animals wanted to get in the act! In Birthday Zoo, you'll find lots of familiar animals—and some unfamiliar ones including a tapir, emu, okapi, tamarin, sloth, lynx, and gnu. Many teachers tell me that Birthday Zoo has become a favorite classroom readaloud on every student birthday throughout the year. 

*For Teachers*
Throw a Zoo Birthday Party!

Make a zoo birthday party in your classroom, perhaps in conjunction with a field trip to your local zoo.

• Ask each child to imagine what his or her favorite animal might do to help plan a birthday party. Write a big class to-do list.
• Have children draw invitations and make party favors with a zoo/animal theme.
• Decorate a big, construction-paper birthday cake with paper candles for the class bulletin board.
• Help children cut out and put together paper animal headbands to wear, with big ears or antlers, for example.
• Serve or let children make snacks with a zoo/animal theme.
• Play animal-theme music for a game of musical chairs, just like the bears in Birthday Zoo.

—Have fun!