Mrs. Hartwell and her second graders are back and are off to the zoo. Hoping to avoid the fiasco of their last trip to a natural history museum, the teacher is super-prepared—ultra-prepared—for this one. She has done her research and has nine foolproof tips for a great outing. Each and every rule comes in handy—“#3 Be prepared for delays. Food works,” “#6 Bring lots of paper towels and an extra tee shirt,” “#7 No matter what happens stay calm!”—with comical results. Kids will love seeing a parrot poop on Eddie (Rule #7 is invoked here). But Mrs. Hartwell also knows when to relax the rules a little (“#1 Give students a job to keep them focused and learning…and out of trouble!”) and let the kids have a good time. Love’s illustrations perfectly capture the children’s expressions, actions, and abilities. There is plenty to see on each page, and readers will want a close look. Like the previous installments, this one is chock-full of humor and truth. Both teachers and their students will find it easy to relate to the characters and situations. Good pre–class trip or anytime reading.
–School Library Journal
