The Midnight Zoo - by Sonya Hartnett (Paperback)

About the Book

"First published by Penguin Books (Australia) 2010"--T.p. verso.

Book Synopsis

"A haunting portrait of families, human and otherwise, torn apart. . . . Hartnett combines powerful prose with magical realism." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

When the Germans attack their Romany encampment during World War II, Andrej and his younger brother, Tomas, flee through a ravaged countryside under cover of darkness, guarding a secret bundle. Their journey leads to a bombed-out town, where the boys discover a hidden wonder: a zoo filled with creatures in need of hope. Like Andrej and Tomas, the animals -- wolf and eagle, monkey and bear, lioness and seal, kangaroo and llama -- have stories to share and a mission to reclaim their lives.

Review Quotes

This somber yet not hopeless fable set during WWII offers a haunting portrait of families, human and otherwise, torn apart...Lindgren Award-winner Hartnett combines powerful prose with magical realism to heighten this setting and develop the personalities of the animals that the boys meet, who begin to speak after another round of bombing.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

This beautiful and sad book will stay with readers long after the story is done.
--School Library Journal

About the Author

Sonya Hartnett is an internationally acclaimed author of many award-winning novels, including THURSDAY'S CHILD, WHAT THE BIRDS SEE, STRIPES OF THE SIDESTEP WOLD, THE SILVER DONKEY, THE GHOST's CHILD, BUTTERFLY, and the Michael L. Printz Honor Book SURRENDER. She was the winner of the 2008 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world's largest award for lifetime achievement in children's and youth literature. Sonya Hartnett lives in Australia.

Andrea Dezsö is a visual artistwho works across a broad range of media including drawing, cutpaper, embroidery, sculpture, installation, animation, and large-scale murals. She is Assistant Professor of Art at Hampshire College in Amherst, MAand lives in Amherst and New York City.