I Was Kissed by a Seal at the Zoo

I WAS KISSED BY A SEAL
Helen Palmer with photographs by Lynn Fayman/ published 1962 by Random House

I figured since I raved about the Boogle House, I needed to get some of Ms. Palmer's other books up here. Obviously, this book was made during an era when if you published a children's book, the San Diego Zoo would allow you to bring a bunch of school kids in to fondle the wildlife. Somehow I doubt this would happen now, even if you were the first Mrs. Dr. Seuss. Like Boogle House, I love the funny story illustrated by black and white photos contrasting against bright color pages ~ red, green, blue and yellow. Though, if I'm not mistaken, I believe the seal mentioned in the title is actually a sea lion. I guess technically, a sea lion is a seal, but I digress...

What would you do if you went to the zoo?
Well, I can tell you what I would do.
I would walk right up to the zoo keeper.
I would say,
"Please, may I play with your baby lion?"
"Yes," he would say,
"if the lion wants to play."

Didn't see until looking up just now that she killed herself in 1967 -- after 40 years of marriage to the Seuss man and a long struggle with cancer. That stinks. Sad that the two never had kids together (or apart) that could enjoy their books as much as mine does. Next up, Do You Know What I'm Going to Do Next Saturday? and Fish Out of Water. I'll get to them someday!

Also by:
Why I Built the Boogle House
Do you know what I'm going to do next Saturday?