Fur, Fins, and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo

Fur, Fins and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett, and the Invention of the Modern Zoo is the story of a man who loved animals so much, and wanted to make their lives better in zoos.

In the early 1800s, Abraham was a little boy, and his father knew someone who owned wild animals. Those animals lived in bare cages, and people would line up to see them. Abraham felt sorry for how the animals had to live in cages. He dreamed of working with animals when he grew up. Eventually, Abraham became the superintendent of the London Zoo. He made exhibits for the animals that were like their homes in the wild, and they had space to explore, hide, and be happy. Abraham Dee Bartlett wanted all the animals to feel at home.

I really enjoyed this book. I am so glad that Abraham got the idea to post signs on all exhibits to explain about the animals. This was the first time a zoo did this. I really liked the timeline in the back of the book. The illustrations are really neat, like paper cutouts with so many details to look at. I think others would like Fur, Fins and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett, and the Invention of the Modern Zoo.