The Last Zookeeper
An epic sci-fi journey through a futuristic world from Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker
Age 4+
Picture Storybooks
A master of the wordless form imagines a futuristic Noah’s Ark in a luminous sci-fi parable for our changing world.
From the winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal and Shadowers' Choice Awards for Illustration 2024 for The Tree and the RIver.
The Earth has flooded. The only signs of humankind are the waterlogged structures they left behind. Peeking out from the deluge are the remnants of a zoo, home to rare and endangered animals, survivors of long neglect. Tender-hearted NOA is a construction robot who's found new purpose as the caretaker of the zoo’s beleaguered inhabitants. Bracing for the next storm, NOA builds an ark from the wreckage in search of new land, only to discover something even more profound. With boundless compassion and sweeping scenes of sea and sky punctuated by detailed wordless panels to pore over, Caldecott Honor–winning creator Aaron Becker delivers a timely and concrete message about the rewards of caring in even the most difficult of times that is sure to inspire the dreamers among us.
Creators
Aaron Becker is the best-selling author of the award-winning Journey trilogy and other books for children young and old, including The Tree and the River, which won the Yoto Carnegie Medal and Shadowers' Choice for Illustration 2024, A Stone for Sascha and The Last Zookeeper. When he’s not home with his wife and two daughters, he can be found creating something new in his backyard studio in western Massachusetts.
Reviews
Minute details pepper each scene, giving sharp-eyed readers the chance to find something new every time they page through this book. . . True fans will find themselves poring over these pictures for hours. Epic storytelling erupts on the page without the use of a single word. Superb.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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. . . underscores the power of practical measures, and holds out the promise of hope.
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Becker’s art is highly detailed, using watercolor defined by pen and ink that invite inquiry and discussion. . . . Each small movement of NOA conveys emotion and the value of caring for our planet. NOA’s loneliness, his horror over the rising water, his concern—all are palpable. . . . A wordless picture book with so much to say, this is one for all children, and all collections.
School Library Journal (starred review)
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)
