2010, Greenwillow/HarperCollins
Publishers Weekly, January 11, 2010
"This eye-opening tale of compassion and cooperation chronicles the mission of an international team of military personnel, zoo staffers, veterinarians, and relief workers to rescue neglected animals in Baghdad. Sumner, an army major who was deployed to Iraq in 2003 as a civil affairs officer, spearheaded the effort to round up the creatures from the heavily looted Baghdad Zoo, as well as a smaller nearby zoo and the abandoned palace of Saddam Hussein’s son. The animals all found new homes at the main zoo, which was extensively renovated and reopened to the public (“the opening was a sign of hope, a glimpse of normal life”). The collaborators detail several remarkable rescues, including the recovery of 16 rare purebred Arabian horses that had been stolen and hidden in a racetrack’s stables. Sidebars offering facts about various species, historical background, and Sumner’s emotional commentary supplement Halls’s (Dinosaur Parade) narrative, which doesn’t sidestep the ever-present danger. Sobering and uplifting photographs—many taken by Sumner—underscore both the direness of the situation and the spirit of hope that drove the project. Ages 8–up. (Feb.)
School Library Journal (June 2010)
Gr 5–8—War means bombs falling, buildings destroyed, humans fleeing to safety if they can. But what of zoo animals locked in their cages? As then U.S. Army Captain William Sumner was horrified to discover, they die from lack of food and water, they are butchered for human consumption, and they are stolen by dealers in exotic animals. Or, like those described in this book, they have grittily clung to life in appalling conditions. Asked by a commander to "look at a 'small' zoo" (actually, one of the largest in the Middle East), Sumner discovered a large one, plus three smaller "palace" zoos, and a number of other menageries. Animals were starving, thirsty, and unkempt. Volunteers miraculously appeared; support arose; zoological societies, veterinarians, and international wildlife groups offered aid and advice; and Sumner and his recruits got to work. This book chronicles their efforts—and the rehabilitation—of some of the zoo's residents. Saedia, a nearly blind brown bear who had never felt grass under her feet; Lumpy the camel, starved and dehydrated; and Saddam's personal pet cheetahs are just some of the creatures that appear in these poignant stories. Many color photos, some especially crisp or moving, document the efforts. While the Baghdad Zoo is no sterling example of what a modern zoological park ought to be, it is a shining example of human efforts to provide care and comfort to abandoned animals and to offer a sort of sanctuary to Iraqi residents whose lives have been drastically disrupted. Inspiring, yes, and a tad disturbing, but an important social record.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Kirkus Reviews
Loaded with reader appeal, these tales of animal rescue focus on the animals but also provide some insight into what Baghdad was like in the wake of the U.S. invasion. Basing her account on numerous interviews-notably with co-author Sumner, then a Captain in the U.S. Army 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, who led international efforts to recapture and safely house wild animals held in the city's zoos-Halls tracks multiple forays into devastated areas in search of creatures that were often starving, thirsty and trapped in hideous conditions. Each outing presented different challenges, from a bear given so much alcohol by drunken zookeepers that it was immune to anesthetic darts to more than a dozen hugely valuable Arabian racehorses held in a compound guarded by probably armed thieves. That's not to mention the difficulties of transport past snipers, providing medical care and finding proper food for pelicans, lions, camels and others. The narrative downplays violence in favor of success stories; that upbeat tone and the many bright, engaging color photos will leave younger audiences more pleased than disturbed. (source notes; introduction and epilogue by the co-author) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Booklist
Bolstered with large, beautiful color photos and informative sidebars, this dramatic picture-book-size photo-essay tells of the U.S. army rescue of zoo animals in the Iraqi war zone. The authors investigate what the rescue effort has done for the animals––including lions, tigers, dromedaries, bears, Arabian horses, tortoises, cheetahs, and more—as well as diplomacy, building bridges between the American military and the Iraqi people, especially the zoo workers. The rescue stories of human-animal bonding include close-up photos and facts. Archaeologist Sumner serves as a general in Iraq and is still active in protecting the zoo and its cultural heritage, and his first-person eyewitness accounts are woven in with Hall’s overview. Together, the authors address the continuing controversies: Why save the animals and not focus on the people? Why not return wild animals to their natural habitats? Many readers will be drawn into the debates about the ongoing role of the U.S. in Iraq. Grades 4-7. --Hazel Rochman
Horn Book
Animal enthusiasts will enjoy Saving the Baghdad Zoo: A True Story of Hope and Heroes by Kelly Milner Halls and Major William Sumner. Using fantastic photographs, humor, and heartwarming anecdotes, Halls and Sumner re-create the mission to rescue monkeys, dogs, lions, and many other animals while rebuilding the decimated Baghdad Zoo. Full of memorable animals like Lumpy the one-humped camel and Saedia the thirty-two-year-old brown bear, this book combines facts and narration into a moving story. (8–12 years)
A Year of Reading Blog
This is a great story. So often our kids come to the library looking for books about war. I am never sure quite what they want and neither are they. This book does not cover up the tragedies of a war, but doesn't focus on those. Instead this book focuseds on this one aspect of recovery and we get to know the real dangers, the real people and the animals who were involved. And Kelly Milner Halls definitely knows how to write for kids.
Educator/author Teri Lesesne
Here is a wonderful example of all that nonfiction can be: informative, entertaining, enlightening.
Weston Public Library
Saving the Baghdad Zoo tells the poignant stories of these remarkable animals. Meet the abandoned lions who roamed an empty palace with no food or drink; the camel, Lumpy, who survived transport through sniper fire; the tigers, Riley and Hope, who traveled 7,000 miles from home; and many more. Appropriate to animal lovers grades four and up.
Goodreads Librarian/Baltimore
This book is absolutely a must-have, no-discussion, gimme-gimme purchase for the school library....This team worked hard, improvised, begged, and above all, went far beyond the call of duty to feed and care for these creatures. It's a fascinating story, a terrific discussion starter, an inspiration.
Sacramento Book Review
It is an eye-opening and heart-breaking documentary of the post war collateral damage to the Baghdad Zoo....Together with Major William Sumner, Kelly Milner Halls had compiled various facts and anecdotes along with both heart-breaking and heart-warming photographs that carry us through the process of restoration. The re-opening of the Baghdad Zoo has become the oasis of hope to the people of Baghdad and around the globe.
War and Peace, Picture Book Style
by Colleen Mondor
2010 Cybil Award Nominee
2010 Nevada Reading Week List
2010 Parent's Choice Silver Award Honor Book -- read more about it HERE.
2010 VOYA Nonfiction Honor List
2010 Sasquatch Award Nominee
"This eye-opening tale of compassion and cooperation chronicles the mission of an international team of military personnel, zoo staffers, veterinarians, and relief workers to rescue neglected animals in Baghdad. Sumner, an army major who was deployed to Iraq in 2003 as a civil affairs officer, spearheaded the effort to round up the creatures from the heavily looted Baghdad Zoo, as well as a smaller nearby zoo and the abandoned palace of Saddam Hussein’s son. The animals all found new homes at the main zoo, which was extensively renovated and reopened to the public (“the opening was a sign of hope, a glimpse of normal life”). The collaborators detail several remarkable rescues, including the recovery of 16 rare purebred Arabian horses that had been stolen and hidden in a racetrack’s stables. Sidebars offering facts about various species, historical background, and Sumner’s emotional commentary supplement Halls’s (Dinosaur Parade) narrative, which doesn’t sidestep the ever-present danger. Sobering and uplifting photographs—many taken by Sumner—underscore both the direness of the situation and the spirit of hope that drove the project. Ages 8–up. (Feb.)
School Library Journal (June 2010)
Gr 5–8—War means bombs falling, buildings destroyed, humans fleeing to safety if they can. But what of zoo animals locked in their cages? As then U.S. Army Captain William Sumner was horrified to discover, they die from lack of food and water, they are butchered for human consumption, and they are stolen by dealers in exotic animals. Or, like those described in this book, they have grittily clung to life in appalling conditions. Asked by a commander to "look at a 'small' zoo" (actually, one of the largest in the Middle East), Sumner discovered a large one, plus three smaller "palace" zoos, and a number of other menageries. Animals were starving, thirsty, and unkempt. Volunteers miraculously appeared; support arose; zoological societies, veterinarians, and international wildlife groups offered aid and advice; and Sumner and his recruits got to work. This book chronicles their efforts—and the rehabilitation—of some of the zoo's residents. Saedia, a nearly blind brown bear who had never felt grass under her feet; Lumpy the camel, starved and dehydrated; and Saddam's personal pet cheetahs are just some of the creatures that appear in these poignant stories. Many color photos, some especially crisp or moving, document the efforts. While the Baghdad Zoo is no sterling example of what a modern zoological park ought to be, it is a shining example of human efforts to provide care and comfort to abandoned animals and to offer a sort of sanctuary to Iraqi residents whose lives have been drastically disrupted. Inspiring, yes, and a tad disturbing, but an important social record.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Kirkus Reviews
Loaded with reader appeal, these tales of animal rescue focus on the animals but also provide some insight into what Baghdad was like in the wake of the U.S. invasion. Basing her account on numerous interviews-notably with co-author Sumner, then a Captain in the U.S. Army 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, who led international efforts to recapture and safely house wild animals held in the city's zoos-Halls tracks multiple forays into devastated areas in search of creatures that were often starving, thirsty and trapped in hideous conditions. Each outing presented different challenges, from a bear given so much alcohol by drunken zookeepers that it was immune to anesthetic darts to more than a dozen hugely valuable Arabian racehorses held in a compound guarded by probably armed thieves. That's not to mention the difficulties of transport past snipers, providing medical care and finding proper food for pelicans, lions, camels and others. The narrative downplays violence in favor of success stories; that upbeat tone and the many bright, engaging color photos will leave younger audiences more pleased than disturbed. (source notes; introduction and epilogue by the co-author) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Booklist
Bolstered with large, beautiful color photos and informative sidebars, this dramatic picture-book-size photo-essay tells of the U.S. army rescue of zoo animals in the Iraqi war zone. The authors investigate what the rescue effort has done for the animals––including lions, tigers, dromedaries, bears, Arabian horses, tortoises, cheetahs, and more—as well as diplomacy, building bridges between the American military and the Iraqi people, especially the zoo workers. The rescue stories of human-animal bonding include close-up photos and facts. Archaeologist Sumner serves as a general in Iraq and is still active in protecting the zoo and its cultural heritage, and his first-person eyewitness accounts are woven in with Hall’s overview. Together, the authors address the continuing controversies: Why save the animals and not focus on the people? Why not return wild animals to their natural habitats? Many readers will be drawn into the debates about the ongoing role of the U.S. in Iraq. Grades 4-7. --Hazel Rochman
Horn Book
Animal enthusiasts will enjoy Saving the Baghdad Zoo: A True Story of Hope and Heroes by Kelly Milner Halls and Major William Sumner. Using fantastic photographs, humor, and heartwarming anecdotes, Halls and Sumner re-create the mission to rescue monkeys, dogs, lions, and many other animals while rebuilding the decimated Baghdad Zoo. Full of memorable animals like Lumpy the one-humped camel and Saedia the thirty-two-year-old brown bear, this book combines facts and narration into a moving story. (8–12 years)
A Year of Reading Blog
This is a great story. So often our kids come to the library looking for books about war. I am never sure quite what they want and neither are they. This book does not cover up the tragedies of a war, but doesn't focus on those. Instead this book focuseds on this one aspect of recovery and we get to know the real dangers, the real people and the animals who were involved. And Kelly Milner Halls definitely knows how to write for kids.
Educator/author Teri Lesesne
Here is a wonderful example of all that nonfiction can be: informative, entertaining, enlightening.
Weston Public Library
Saving the Baghdad Zoo tells the poignant stories of these remarkable animals. Meet the abandoned lions who roamed an empty palace with no food or drink; the camel, Lumpy, who survived transport through sniper fire; the tigers, Riley and Hope, who traveled 7,000 miles from home; and many more. Appropriate to animal lovers grades four and up.
Goodreads Librarian/Baltimore
This book is absolutely a must-have, no-discussion, gimme-gimme purchase for the school library....This team worked hard, improvised, begged, and above all, went far beyond the call of duty to feed and care for these creatures. It's a fascinating story, a terrific discussion starter, an inspiration.
Sacramento Book Review
It is an eye-opening and heart-breaking documentary of the post war collateral damage to the Baghdad Zoo....Together with Major William Sumner, Kelly Milner Halls had compiled various facts and anecdotes along with both heart-breaking and heart-warming photographs that carry us through the process of restoration. The re-opening of the Baghdad Zoo has become the oasis of hope to the people of Baghdad and around the globe.
War and Peace, Picture Book Style
by Colleen Mondor
2010 Cybil Award Nominee
2010 Nevada Reading Week List
2010 Parent's Choice Silver Award Honor Book -- read more about it HERE.
2010 VOYA Nonfiction Honor List
2010 Sasquatch Award Nominee
