My Heart Is Like a Zoo

A New York Times bestseller!

My Heart Is Like a Zoo features bright colors, simple sentences, playful animals, and more than 300 hearts for children to count and enjoy. Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick says, "Starting with one simple shape, Michael Hall shows us a nearly infinite number of ways to make a menagerie of love."

This award-winning picture book is a must-have for every young reader, who will learn that a heart can be hopeful, silly, happy, rugged, snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and author-artist Michael Hall captures each one with his bold, graphic artwork. 

An ideal springboard for conversations about emotions, and for introducing concepts, math, and art projects in the classroom and at home. School Library Journal called it an "outstanding choice for one-on-one sharing."

A heart can be hopeful, or silly, or happy. A heart can be rugged, or snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and debut author-artist Michael Hall captures each one with a delicate touch.

For each feeling, the bold, graphic artwork creates an animal out of heart shapes, from "eager as a beaver" to "angry as a bear" to "thoughtful as an owl." An accessible and beautiful debut, My Heart Is Like a Zoo is everything a classic picture book should be: honest, sincere, and speaking directly to even the very youngest child.

Ages: 0 - 5

“Starting with one simple shape, Michael Hall shows us a nearly infinite number of ways to make a menagerie of love.” - Brian Selznick, Caldecott Medalist

“Now hear this! The art in this book will astonish Earth!” - Chris Raschka, Caldecott Medalist

“It stole my heart.” - Robert Sabuda, New York Times bestselling author

“This title will have a wide audience, whether in a classroom, library, or at home. An outstanding choice for one-on-one sharing.” - School Library Journal

“Animals, adjectives and hearts—lots of hearts—combine in this bright, appealing selection, reminiscent of the works of Lois Ehlert.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Children just learning about shapes will revel in these pages.” - Publishers Weekly

“Michael Hall’s My Heart Is Like a Zoo is a combination of deceptive simplicity and gorgeous graphic design. Colorful, fun, and thoroughly enjoyable.” - Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Caldecott Honor Artist, New York Times bestselling author

“The bold digital collages of zoo animals in this debut picture book are clear and bright, and the simple rhymes about feelings will have preschoolers savoring the words, joining in, and pointing at every playful zoo scene.” - ALA Booklist