The Great Escape from City Zoo

Many years ago, in a daring escape still talked of in zoos worldwide, an elephant, an anteater, a turtle, and a flamingo went “over the wall” at the city zoo.

This is their story, spun tersely but dramatically in simple language, accompanied by strangely compelling monochromatic illustrations that reference pop culture icons from Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks to King Kong.

Young children might not be ready for the obvious parallels drawn between prisons and zoos, but the gentle humour and marvellous pictures will draw them into the story. Each of the animals, except the flamingo, is eventually recaptured–the anteater when he faints in front of a taxidermist’s, the turtle when he falls on his back in a truck stop and is unable to get up–but their experience as fugitives makes for fun children’s reading.

No one knows what happened to the flamingo (unconfirmed sightings include a grainy illustration that resembles the loch ness monster) but in the annals of zoo history, he lives on as a symbol of freedom and hope.

It’s easy to see why this book was short-listed for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award.