The Zoo: The Inside Story

by Jawnie Payne, Susan Deming (Illustrator), Neon Squid

Overview

Find out what goes on behind the scenes at a zoo in this illustrated nonfiction story by zookeeper and TikTok sensation Jawnie Payne.

This gentle story is a perfect gift for kids who love animals or are going on a trip to the zoo. It follows the exploits of several characters over the course of a busy day–including zookeepers, a school trip, and some very mischievous animals! Along the way readers will discover how the creatures are fed and kept entertained, as well as what goes on once the zoo shuts for the day!

Stunning illustrations by Susan Deming bring the world of a zoo to life–from the big cat enclosure to the penguin pool–with plenty of things to spot in the illustrations for eagle-eyed readers.

By the end of the book kids will have a newfound respect for all of the work that goes on to make every zoo experience memorable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684496464
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/09/2025
Series:	The Inside Story
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jawnie Payne is a zookeeper at the Cincinnati Zoo in the USA. Payne has more than a quarter of a million followers on TikTok. She went viral in 2020 when she posted a video of her wishing a happy Thanksgiving to all the animals. She previously worked at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Fort Worth Zoo, Nashville Zoo, and San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Susan Deming is an illustrator based in San Francisco. One of her favorite jobs was the several years she spent teaching art in public schools to children 6-11. Susan’s favorite books are science or nature nonfiction and nature field guides. When she is not at her desk, you can find Susan taking long walks in the hills surrounding her home or in her garden.

Susan Deming is an illustrator based in San Francisco. One of her favorite jobs was the several years she spent teaching art in public schools to children 6-11. Susan’s favorite books are science or nature nonfiction and nature field guides. When she is not at her desk, you can find Susan taking long walks in the hills surrounding her home or in her garden.
Neon Squid creates beautiful nonfiction books for inquisitive kids (and kids at heart). We believe the most amazing stories are real ones, so our books are for children who want to decipher ancient scrolls, orbit distant stars, and dive into the deepest oceans. Our books are a labor of love—written by experts, illustrated by the best artists around, and produced using the finest materials, including sustainably sourced paper. We hope that by reading them kids are encouraged to further explore the world around them.

Editorial Reviews

"A zoo employee herself with a viral following, Payne leads young visitors through a typical day at a generic zoological park... Readers may be surprised at the amount of training zoo animals receive; some are taught to station (or position) themselves a certain way to be X-rayed, to present paws for inspection, or to open their mouths at a hand gesture for dental exams... A wide-ranging zoological overview." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2025-05-16
A behind-the-scenes zoo tour, with introductions to a variety of animals and the workers charged with keeping them fed, healthy, and happy.

A zoo employee herself with a viral following, Payne leads young visitors through a typical day at a generic zoological park, from an early planning meeting and a morning spent shoveling giraffe poop to a quick jaunt to the nursery (“one of the most popular places in the zoo”) and a night guard’s view of snoozing wildlife on a multiscreen display. In between, she offers glimpses of dozens of residents from aardvarks to sea turtles, which Deming depicts with reasonable fidelity, though many seem to smile or bear anthropomorphic expressions. Payne underscores the work that zoos do with rescued and rare animals. Readers may be surprised at the amount of training zoo animals receive; some are taught to station (or position) themselves a certain way to be X-rayed, to present paws for inspection, or to open their mouths at a hand gesture for dental exams. The racially and culturally diverse human cast includes groups of visitors but focuses mostly on workers and their tasks, from feeding and providing toys or other stimulation to tending the gift shop and running outreach programs.

A wide-ranging zoological overview. (glossary, index)(Nonfiction. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews