Read this one with my 6 year old today and we quite enjoyed reading it. It was a bit longer than the usual kids books but it was still engaging with its illustration and storyline.

Precocious kids are witness to a zoo losing control of the animals that have had enough – ie the big cats – and are forced to react and save the day when they all start escaping. This is both unconvincing from the start, with the kids being ordered to throw sharp and hard ice cubes at the juvenile lions, just because, and takes a long time to build up to anything of significance. Joyless for an adult reader, I won't be taking my thoughts about this into the wider world.

This was not what I expected. Just not my cup of tea. Loved the illustrations though. I had different expectation for the story itself…

The "The Day the Zoo Broke Loose" by Elliot T. Smith is a great book for kids that are into chapter books and this book blends whimsy and chaos in the best possible way. The story kicks off with a zany twist when the animals at the zoo decide they've had enough of their cages and break free, leading to a hilarious series of adventures.
Sarka and Oliver often make their parents fear that curiosity will harm more than a cat. For these twelve-year-old students, visiting the zoo seems closer to an expedition than a field trip. But while they expect to find lions, tigers, and bears, they don't expect those animals to break free, stranding them amid a zoo gone wild.
With predators of all stripes and bites at their heels, the kids would love to flee. But they find they aren't the only ones in need of rescue when they stumble upon a zookeeper using the outbreak as a distraction to steal baby pandas. Having witnessed the crime, the kids set out to save the pandas and escape before the carnivores and kidnappers can catch them.
Originally requested this book because the book cover caught my attention and I was convinced that my little boy would love this story to. And I was right. It is not very long chapter book and it was easy to follow. There are no illustrations in this book. The slight mystery element in the book was welcome and only added to the adventure. I think this book is a celebration of freedom, friendship, and a little bit of fun-filled mayhem. It’s a perfect read-aloud for storytime. I found it enjoyable and fun as well.
Thank you to NetGallery and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the temporary ARC that I received in return for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the option to read this as an arc reader. I read with my 5 and 8 year old and they enjoyed this book through all the laughs and trying to figure out what happened next. Great family read!

The book expired before I could finish it, but having read 60% of it, I decided to enter a review anyway.
The book was exciting. I loved walking through the zoo with the kids. Sarka, Oliver, Meiyi, all had a great sense for adventure, which turned handy when pandas were threatened to be kidnapped.
The slight mystery element in the book was welcome and only added to the adventure.
I am sure that at the end of the book the kids save the pandas, as well as the zoo and all the elephant riding, tiger escaping and lion alluring only remain as a plus to this adventure and add to the pleasure of successful completion of the day.

I received a free ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review

Relatable child characters regarding the animals Is what I will start off with. An animal lover myself I could not think of a better description of big kitties [lions that could rip my throat out] Entertaining to watch the chaos unfold. Surprised because the cover led me to believe there would be illustrations so heads up it’s a text-only book.

Sarka and her classmates take a field trip to the zoo! They bring flavored treats safe for animals to feed various ones, learn about each, and create a little mischief. A baby cheetah escapes its enclosure and rubs against Sarka, making her soon realize that a gate has come open! Soon, a lion is escaping too. Meanwhile, her friend, Oliver was put in a separate group, and is bummed they aren’t experiencing the zoo together. He’s throwing a ball to tiger cubs when an announcement is made to exit the zoo, as some animals have escaped their enclosures. Oliver quickly tries to reach Sarka on her phone, thinking she likely has something to do with this fiasco, but he can’t reach her. Can the two friends find a way to save the day and get the visitors and animals all safe again? I found this book very odd, in that they would not have children feeding random animals treats they had brought into the zoo. Not to mention, these predators escaping would be a huge emergency and treated as such. I also thought the characters seemed younger and wouldn’t have phones to text each other out on a field trip. All in all, I just felt the storyline didn’t add up or flow well realistically. I appreciate the arc copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

chapter-book, middle-grades, class-trip*****

As a chapter book it is a fun winner of a story about a class of middle schoolers who had some interesting experiences during a field trip to the zoo. The kids exhibited some questionable judgement but were adaptable. Good story that sounds like the author is ESL which is better for some, odd for others, and lots of fun regardless.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of ANY age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op. Thank you!
#TheDayTheZooBrokeLoose by Elliot T. Smith @VE_NetGalley #ChapterBook #MiddleGrades
#NetGalley

The book is very well written, personally I’d be a little scared if I read it at a very young age. I’d say this book it best for middle school age group. I can’t wait to read more books by this author!

This book had an interesting first sentence, was immediately curious to the rest tbh. It was very fun to read, but for a middle grade book it was also quite intense tbh. With all the escaping from different dangerous animals. Like how even. I'm impressed. The little cubs were very cute. The characters were also nice and fun. What a fun day at the zoo they had. Was also easy and fast to read.

A school trip to the zoo turns into an almost-calamity as student discover attempted theft of the zoo’s panda cubs during a breakout of the zoo’s animals. A quick read for independent readers who like animals.

The Day the Zoo Broke Loose by Elliot T. Smith is a delightful romp that blends whimsy and chaos in the best possible way! The story kicks off with a zany twist when the animals at the zoo decide they've had enough of their cages and break free, leading to a hilarious series of adventures.

Smith’s playful illustrations perfectly complement the text, bringing the antics of the mischievous animals to life. Each page is bursting with color and energy, making it a visual treat for readers of all ages. The humor is spot-on, filled with clever wordplay and charming moments that will have kids giggling.

At its heart, this book is a celebration of freedom, friendship, and a little bit of fun-filled mayhem. It’s a perfect read-aloud for storytime, sure to spark laughter and imagination. Whether you’re a kid or just a kid at heart, The Day the Zoo Broke Loose is a joyful escape into a world where anything can happen—and often does! Grab a copy and get ready for a wild ride!

The day the zoo broke loose by Elliot T. Smith, is a great mix of metaphors and real life experiences of everyday childhood .
The day the zoo broke loose would be a great addition to classrooms of children 6 and over !

First off, the title and cover illustration is adorable! I, like many of the other reviewers, expected this to be tailored toward younger, elementary school children, so when I saw the chapters, I was a bit thrown off. I read this to my 4 year old who enjoyed most of it. She loved the creative names of the characters and all the animals. It was a bit too long for her, so even with me reading it to her, she lost interest occasionally. The story would benefit from more images and perhaps a little shorter for the younger reader. As a parent, I enjoyed the premise of the story. It was atypical in a good way! It was a cute story mixed with a mystery. This was our first "kids" ARC and a fun review.

Like others, I thought this was a children's book based on the (adorable!) cover, and was surprised to find chapters inside. I liked the use of multicultural names and backgrounds of the characters. I agree with other reviewers that some of the dialog of the characters was oddly phrased and not really how kids talk. Would have loved to see more illustrations inside to match the eye-catchy outside.

Like many of the reviewers, I was expecting a picture book for younger children. Having said that, I really did quite enjoy this and my youngest grandchild is quite an advanced reader and she really liked this book. A nice read together book.

I was a bit mislead by the cover of this book. I figured based on the illustration it would be a book for younger children. However, it is a chapter book with no pictures. I thought some of the text in the book didn’t fit what a child would say.

Thank you to NetGally for letting me get a sneak peak into this book.

Originally requested this book because the book cover caught my attention. I thought this was a Children book. But it was more of a chapter book it is for a kiddo with more advanced reading skills. It’s a chapter book has zero pictures.

But with all that aside it was a good read for my older child he is 12. He was able to read it and it kept him engaged.

I was expecting this to be a picture book but with that being said my daughter is too young for chapter books BUT I am so excited to add it to her shelf for when she does understand as is ready for that next step in reading. I read it myself because I was curious and it was such a cute read for advanced readers