World War 2, animals, evacuation, determination, team work, children
The Emergency Zoo
by Miriam Halahmy
Key information
Author: Miriam Halahmy
Illustrator: Leo Nickolls
Release Date: 26th May 2016
Book type: Chapter, 250 pages, paperback
Star rating: ★★★★
Reader level: Confident reader (9+)
Age: Year 4+
Overview
Set in London in 1939, The Emergency Zoo follows the heartbreaking story of a young girl, Tilly, and her friends in their desperate attempts to rescue the village pets from the harsh realities of war. As the start of WW2 looms, Tilly learns that her beloved dog, Bonny, is going to be killed along with the rest of the animals in London to save them from the horrors of war. Devastated at the thought of losing her best friend, Tilly leads a group of local children in a mission to build a secret emergency zoo where their pets can be hidden until the war is over.
Although Tilly had only intended to save her dog, Bonny, and her best friend's cat, Tinkerbell, news of the emergency shelter soon spreads through the streets and before long, the secret den is overflowing with pets. As the war draws closer, rations tighten and tensions at home run high as her family prepares to evacuate Tilly to the countryside. With time running out, Tilly must work quickly to come up with a way to keep the animals hidden from the adults, while ensuring that they are safe when the war begins.
As her friends begin their evacuation, Tilly is offered a small glimmer of hope when she receives a letter from a friend explaining that her auntie, Aunt Edith, will rescue her horse from the emergency zoo and take her to the countryside where she will be cared for throughout the war. Hoping that the rest of the pets will be taken too, Tilly undertakes a top secret journey out of town without to sneak into the Aunt Edith's manor house. She soon comes face to face with Edith, prepared to beg for her help in saving the emergency zoo. However, she is met with a pleasant surprise when she learns that Aunt Edith is a member of the Dumb Animals League, an organisation that aims to rescue as many pets as possible from their fate during the upcoming war. Edith agrees to travel into London and rehome all of the children's beloved pets while they are evacuated to safety. Fortunately, Edith also offers for the children to write to their pets' new owners so that their connection remains strong throughout the war.
Key concepts/themes
- War
- Hardship
- Evacuation
- Death/Grieving
- Determination
- Animals
- Love/Compassion
- Reality of War
Considerations
- War
- Death
- Evacuation
- Heartbreak
- Nazis, Hitler and the treatment of Jews
- Physical harm
Curriculum links
- History - World War 2
- Class read - Year 4 +
Additional teaching opportunities
1. Geography: London (tenuous link)
2. History: World War 2
3. RSHE - compassion, sacrifice
4. Writing:
- Letter (to Aunt Edith/pets)
- Explanation Text (How to set up an Emergency Zoo)
- Persuasive writing (convincing parents to save the animals)
- Diary entry (Tilly's recount of the weeks leading up to the war)
- Newspaper report (Airstrikes/preparation)
- Discussion text (was it fair to kill pets at the start of the war?)
Vocabulary opportunities
The vocabulary in this book is very accessible. There are some good tier 2 words, and plenty of Tier 3 linked to WW2:
| Tier 2 | Tier 3 (WW2) |
|---|---|
| Evacuation, Anderson Shelter, Air raid siren, Ration, Blackout, Nazi, Germany, Invade, Hitler, Prime Minister, Jews |
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