A review by sarasreadingnook
Shoo! by Susie Bower

3.5

This was a very cute picture book about Mrs Golightly who does not like the company of animals; however, a zoo opens up next door. What is she to do?!

The illustrations were very adorable with very cute creatures that individually have so much personality. I enjoyed the rhymes within, their structure and placement, and the themes of tolerance, acceptance, and embracing/adapting to change. Some of the text was a bit hard to read (e.g., black font on a grey/dark blue/dark green background) and while I liked the themes, I think the story was itself was alright.  The illustrations had a simple colour palette of neutral and dark greens, greys, blues, and reds which were a bit melancholy at times. 

I really enjoyed that you do see personal growth with Mrs Golightly as she adapts to the neighbouring zoo and root for her and the zoo’s inhabitants to befriend, or at the very least, coexist with each other. And to be flexible while adapting to these changes, which can be a challenging thing to do!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced e-ARC of this book.