Viv Hampshire recreates the setting of picture book Dear Zoo in a local park so a group of children can learn about animals and their habitats.

Picture book classic Dear Zoo is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Still a popular choice among pre-schoolers, this lift-the-flap favourite by Rod Campbell tells of a child's efforts to find a pet. 'I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet,' explains the narrator. The zoo, in turn, sends a series of unsuitable animals which have to be sent back. Finally, the perfect pet is delivered.

The story features eight animals, each one delivered in its own distinctive box and each a more unsuitable pet than the last. From the big yellow crate marked 'Very Heavy!' to the little red shoebox with air holes in the side, there are lots of clues to help children guess which animal is about to emerge.

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