Best of 2017 – This Zoo Is Not For You – Ross Collins

Time for another picture book on our round up of the best books of 2017. I don’t think there’s been nearly enough animals so far in our selections and so I remedy this immediately with the charming retro feel ‘This Zoo is Not for You’, which is both penned and illustrated by Ross Collins.

This Zoo is Not for You, is instantly inviting with its hardback tactile cover depicting beautifully imagined zoo animals, with the tiger, panda and flamingo all giving the dull and dreary duck-billed platypus the cold shoulder. The premise is simple, Platypus applies for a job at the zoo, but being strange and new is shunned by all its inhabitants, for being too dull, too common, too dreary and not throwing poo! 

Having failed his interview platypus, leaves and the other animals contemplate their behaviour, and realise they’ve been unkind and ponder the predicament, ‘What shall we do?’ However it is platypus, that saves the day, and soon the tables are reversed, in a beautiful play on words and twist of fate, all animals are reunited with platypus, and all is forgiven.


This Zoo is Not for You, is a delightful story about acceptance and friendship, and also being self-aware – being able to identify when you’ve done wrong, and being brave enough to remedy your actions, even apologising. Along with its poignant message, it is lots of fun, with vibrant illustrations that really have a retro mid-century feel, but in a thoroughly engaging modern style.