We were delighted to get the chance to review Peter Donnelly’s latest book “The Great Discovery”. This is the second book in The Dead Zoo series. This beautiful picturebook sees the return of Mr. Gray on his latest adventure working in the Dead Zoo. Mr Gray is looking for an amazing new exhibit to celebrate the grand reopening of the Dead Zoo.
He gets a call from an old lady who has discovered a ‘very old thing’. Mr Gray is excited to investigate her discovery but the more items he finds, the bigger the puzzle gets. What has he uncovered? Will he be ready for the grand reopening?
As usual, I love Peter’s amazing illustrations. They’re bright, eye-catching and fun to look at. Each time you look, you can spot something new. We had a lot of fun reading this at home together. I know it would be a great classroom read aloud.
This book would be excellent in a junior or middle classroom. There is a strong emphasis on Irish history, particularly when looking at hidden items in the illustrations. This would act as a great stimulus for learning about ancient Irish artefacts.
Mr Gray needs to solve a puzzle throughout the story. He finds a lot of very large animals bones and has no idea what animal they could belong to. This theme would serve as a great stimulus for younger classes’ discussion and categorisation of animals.
Much like the previous book in the series, this book provides an excellent opportunity for children to visit a much loved Dublin landmark. It would be a great accompaniment to a field trip.
I highly recommend this beautiful book. I look forward to sharing it with my class in the future. 9/10
by Anna Mac Neill, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
“The Great Discovery” by Peter Donnelly, published by Gill Books, is on sale now for €16.99 (H/B).
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher, Gill Books, free of charge to Seomra Ranga for the purposes of this review.
