The Last Zookeeper

Epic storytelling erupts on the page without the use of a single word. Superb.

Others will find the story and the questions it poses lingering long after the book is closed.

In this gentle postapocalyptic fable, presented through scenes both breathtaking and charmingly inventive, an ingenious and courageous struggle for survival yields a tender and hopeful ending.

This beguiling ark story, splendidly drafted in wordless spreads, stars a robot zookeeper who combines the spare-parts body of Wall-E with the gentle bearing of Amos McGee. The enormous robot dwarfs the toylike giraffes, pandas, tigers, and other charismatic megafauna that it cares for in a postapocalyptic landscape of half-submerged architectural gems, and it makes model sailboats after a long day of labor. When rain begins to fall and the sea rises further, the robot gathers the animals and executes a large-scale idea. Usable wreckage, the robot's fascination with boatbuilding, and its own built-in tools produce a magnificent sloop capable of carrying the whole menagerie to safety--until a massive storm strikes at sea. While the place where the ship grounds is desolate, the unexpected appearance of a new friend changes everything. An epigraph from Jane Goodall makes the story's conservation message clear, but Becker (The Tree and the River) avoids polemics in favor of worldbuilding that suggests the need for early action, underscores the power of practical measures, and holds out the promise of hope. Ages 5-9. (Mar.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"This wordless picture book invites repeat readings to catch the intricate artistic details—clever and thoughtful decisions about color, perspective, and framing result in a visual treasure. The fact that everything centers on the zoo mirrors a sci-fi Noah's Ark that prioritizes saving what can be saved (indeed, the robot's only designation is "nöa" on its arm)." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"The master of wordless picture books returns with this moving retelling of Noah's ark that speaks to an uncertain future." —Foreword Reviews (starred review)

"In another visionary wordless picture book by multiple award-winning author-illustrator Becker, an endearing, gigantic yellow-bodied robot wearing a quiver of wind turbines tends to the feeding of zoo animals. . . . In this gentle postapocalyptic fable, presented through scenes both breathtaking and charmingly inventive, an ingenious and courageous struggle for survival yields a tender and hopeful ending." —Booklist

"Becker's characteristically virtuosic ink and watercolor paintings offer much for young readers to pore over and peer at. . . Others will find the story and the questions it poses lingering long after the book is closed." —The Horn Book

"Wordless, yet carries a timely, vital message. Five years ago, I would have called this sci-fi. Today, I call it our reality. The wordless format will invoke such meaningful conversations among people of all ages." —Lorie Barber, Anderson's Bookshop