• Age: 7 to 10
• Grade: 2 to 5

It's Open Mic Night at the Story Zoo and the dogs are up to tell their tales in this hilarious graphic novel for young readers.

At the Story Zoo, you get to tell any story you want in front of the live audience, as long as it's about you. And tonight is dog night. So sit back, relax, and let these dogs tell their tales. We've got some hilarious but quite touching stories from dogs of all kinds, including a bulldog who doesn't wanted to be judged by his looks; a bloodhound who loses her power of scent and turns to a dog called Surelick Holmes for help; an energetic poodle who saves the day with her yapping; and a stray who takes fetching to a whole new level.

These stories will make you laugh, make you cry and maybe even make you howl at the moon. Whether you're looking for smart, funny, sweet, sharp, silly or just plain fuzzy, The Story Zoo is going to be your new favorite haunt.

Dan Bar-el est un auteur à succès, un pédagogue et un conteur qui a publié des romans, des albums illustrés et des bandes dessinées. Depuis vingt et un ans, il travaille avec des enfants de trois à treize ans en tant que prestataire de services de garde et donne des cours de théâtre et d'écriture. Dan habite à Vancouver.

Dan Bar-el believes that the highest compliment a preschool child can pay is to call one silly. He carries the label with honor. "Preschool children have no patience for 'jokes,'" he says. "Ask one to tell you a knock-knock joke and, painfully, you'll see my point. But nothing gets a giggle like the absurd. Nothing is funnier than turning the rules on their heads." And that is exactly what Dan has done in his new book, in which each of twenty-six children is named for a child he has taught. The author of Things are Looking Up, Jack and Things are Looking Grimm, fill, Dan lives, writes and teac

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• Short-listed, The Joan Betty Stuchner - Oy Vey! - Funniest Children's Book Award

One of CCBC’S Best Books for Kids & Teens (2018)

“If ever there was a graphic novel geared toward young readers just begging to be made into a movie, this might be it.” --Vancouver Sun

"Perfect for young readers wanting to try a graphic novel and will be enjoyed by reluctant readers and avid readers alike." --Calgary Herald

PRAISE FOR Audrey (Cow):
"Move aside Wilbur and Babe. There's a new farmyard hero in town, and she has no desire to end up hamburger. In a multiple-perspective, documentary-like format, each animal tells its part of the story with terrific humor and personality. ...the many voices make the book an ideal read-aloud for a classroom and ideal fodder for readers' theatre. Bar-el is also unafraid to engage in truly lovely descriptive writing. Part Great Escape, part Hatchet, part Charlotte's Web, all wonderful."
--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"...[a] cleverly constructed story.... Bar-el creates a humorous chorus of perspectives, temperaments, dialects, and cadences..... Thoroughly charming...."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Animal Farm meets The Great Escape.... Bar-el manages to gently and thoughtfully introduce kids to the concept of the abattoir while also underscoring that a farm's very purpose is producing food. At its heart, Audrey (Cow) encourages kids to think even as it entertains - the mark of wonderful children's literature."
--Quill and Quire, Starred Review

"This is no simple farm story; it is a powerful tale that takes a philosophical stance against today's meat industry. Written in transcripts of interviews from the perspective of various animal and human characters, the book emphasizes the emotional reactions of those surrounding Audrey. These monologues give readers the opportunity to discern different perspectives about the same events. Readers must make conclusions and predictions about the events, weighing the relative reliability of the various narrators. A unique approach to a sensitive topic."
--School Library Journal, Starred Review