The Lincoln Zoo Rebellion by Larry Belling and Art Twain is the newest addition to bookshelves in 2024 and serves as a great read for all members of the family.
Despite the listed age demographic that ranges from eight to 14 years old, the book’s unique use of complex themes and language that kids can understand and draw connections to, makes the story applicable to all walks of life.
The Lincoln Zoo Rebellion is a fictional tale, although packed from page to page with facts detailing the intricate lives and abilities of animals, information on geographic regions and countries, and much more. Readers will find many links to political themes and world views integrated within the cute story.
The book follows a smalltown zoo in the midst of new — and problematic — renovations. The storyline follows the main character, Reggie Goodenough, an old, yet extremely capable zoo keeper. Reggie runs the zoo in a small town called Lincoln.
He lives in a dainty cottage slightly beyond the zoo’s walls, allowing him to form an intimate relationship with his animals. Reggie has the special ability to communicate with the creatures in the zoo through mind telepathy as well as speaking in their native tongues — which consist of barks, hollers, and other sounds that are found within wildlife.
This distinctive ability allows Reggie to serve as a phenomenal zoo keeper and an extremely well-reputed member of the Lincoln community. Ralph Throttlebottom, who acts as Reggie’s villainous foil, is a rich embodiment of capitalist greed, who vows to turn the zoo into a giant tourist attraction pending his soon-to-be seat at the mayor’s desk. Throttlebottom’s plans mean detriment for the Lincoln Zoo animals as well as disruption to Goodenough’s livelihood and a staple in the Lincoln community.
The book follows the trials and tribulations of Reggie saving the Lincoln Zoo and restoring animal preservation and rights.
Important Messages Found in the Book
Co-author Art Twain described the message he intends to convey to his readers.
“We want the reader to come away with the importance of animal rights and the preservation. I think that’s really important,” Twain said. “The understanding about the good that zoos do for animal preservation and getting them larger habitats and treating them beautifully. There are some species of animals that only exist because there are zoos. They’d be completely extinct now if it weren’t for zoos.”
Twain admitted to these themes having a nature of higher complexity than some children’s books would contain, yet describes how he believes this works in the favor of his consumers.
“I really want them [readers] to understand animal rights and preservation and I think the age group is exactly right for that. To get them [readers] at this point so they realize the importance and are willing to become more proactive in the future about these subjects. There are certain subjects I think are important to grow up with,” Twain said. “In this case we want kids to understand the importance that animals are in danger and more and more species are in danger.”
Twain describes the contemporary state of the world kids grow up in and how that played to his advantage when choosing how to contribute to Belling’s original manuscript.
“I think a lot of books are written down to what they think are the ages of the kids reading the book. I think that that is a very low trajectory,” said Twain.
“I think that kids today are much more aware. I think there is a lot more that they know because of the internet and because we are just in a faster world,” he said. “There’s more communication and with more communication a better sense of language and speaking skills and writing skills…I think that is highly important.”
Psychologists and librarians alike endorse the book, citing the lessons the story relays to its audience.
“I loved this wonderful tale. The hero, Reggie, is a positive Pied Piper. This exciting story helps to foster children’s ability to handle tough competition and greed and learn about standing up for one’s beliefs with grit, generosity, humor, and love,” said Judith Warren, PhD. “I recommend it highly and enjoyed it enormously.”
Librarian Alice Kaplan agreed, saying, “It’s a terrific book! It will have broad appeal to both boys and girls, especially animal lovers (most kids like animals). It’s a fast-paced story—very humorous with witty and wonderfully colorful descriptions,” she said.
“I loved Abby Sweet going into the lion’s cage, Reggie learning animal languages, and the animals escaping from their cages.” I had some good laughs in between holding my breath as the action accelerated.”
Twain’s Home Zoo Inspired His Love for Animals
As previously mentioned, the book works in a way that Twain describes as “learn and read.” Facts are sprinkled throughout the narrative in a fun and digestible way. While Twain contended with the vast research and fact-checking that went into the book’s creation, his background with animals surely did help.
“My mother said I was studying to be an animal when I was growing up,” joked Twain. “I just read and read and read about animals…they were just fascinating to me.”
Twain spent his childhood infatuated with animals and even had a zoo in his backyard. This upbringing influenced his later participation in the book.
“Growing up I loved animals,” Twain said. “I had 26 different species of animals in my garage.”
Twain’s home zoo showcased mice, snakes, a baby possum, and even two alligators. Twain’s experience helped Reggie’s character come to life amongst the pages of the book. Twain’s possum was rescued, nursed, and fostered all by Twain in his home.
“One day I found a little pink thing in my driveway that was barely moving, ” said Twain. I thought ‘What is this?’ I picked it up and it was a baby possum that had fallen out of its mother’s pouch.”
“Marsupials are born prematurely. They spend time in the mother’s pouch until they are old enough to get out into the world,” said Twain. “So I took the possum and said, ‘I’ll do the best that I can do to keep it alive.’ “And I not only kept it alive but he became a full adult.”
Similar to the main character Reggie, although not quite as supernatural and exaggerated, Twain believed he had some ability to communicate with his animals.
“I felt that I had some sort of communication with the animals,” Twain said. “When you are feeding animals and giving them rewards for good behavior they figure that out…and so I talk to them and they hear the voice…with different animals there is a certain intimacy you can get.”
“So there are ways that we communicate, but certainly not on the range that our hero, the old zookeeper Reggie does in the book,” Twain laughed. “He’s got it down to all the little sounds they make, including the mental things they do.”
Twain continued by describing how animals are a lot smarter than humans believe they are, a point which was important for him to make clear in the story. Twain joked as he told a story of trading bird calls with a mockingbird near his childhood home — a very Reggie-esq tale.
The Special Relationship Between Art Twain and Larry Belling
The book’s other author, Larry Belling, has sadly passed away, and Twain described the relationship between the two that stretches far beyond the creation of the book. The two grew up together in the Bay area and met when they were around ten years old.
Twain relayed their mutual passion for animals, which first prompted Belling to create the manuscript over the course of many years and Twain to later help bring life within the bindings of The Lincoln Zoo Rebellion
“We shared a great love for animals, I felt that that was highly important.”
Overall, The Lincoln Zoo Rebellion is a great read for all members of the family and animal lovers alike.
Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Zoo-Rebellion-Art-Twain/dp/B0CTNZYK87
