Supermarket Zoo

Buy This Book * More books by Caryl Hart

Every little boy knows that going shopping with Mum is the most boring thing in the world. But for little Albie, one trip to the supermarket opens a whole new world of fun! Because this isn’t just any supermarket – it’s the supermarket zoo – and with a whole trolley full of animals on his list, Albie will never see shopping the same way again.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Make up another story about Albie in which his mum asks him to do something boring… which turns out to be really exciting!
• Make a magazine / radio / TV advert to persuade people to shop at Supermarket Zoo.
• Retell the story from mum’s point of view.
• Make a set of instructions to teach people how to look after one of the animals that can be bought in the zoo.
• Write a story about what happens after this book. What happens to all of the animals?
• Can you act out the story with a friend (and lots of cuddly animals)?
• Make up a story about Albie’s trip to the Monster Market (using the list at the end of the book for some ideas).
• Caryl has some fantastic resources on her own site. Explore them all here.

Maths

• Make up a price list for the animals in Supermarket Zoo. How much would a penguin cost? If you bought a lion with a £50 note, how much change would you get?
• Think of some special offers that might be available at Supermarket Zoo, e.g. Buy three monkeys and get one free. Can you think of special offers that include fractions or percentages?
• Find out and compare the weight of the different animals in Supermarket Zoo. What would be the total weight of Albie’s shopping trolley at the end of the story?
• Carry out a survey of your class to find out what animal they would buy from Supermarket Zoo if they had the chance.

Science

• Make a list of all of the animals included in the story and illustrations. Can you choose one of them and find out more about it?
• Find out about the food that the animals in Supermarket Zoo might eat.

Computing

• Design a new sign / logo for the Supermarket Zoo.
• Create a website (or a picture of one) so that people can shop online from Supermarket Zoo.
• Can you record a video retelling of the story, like the one shown below:

Art

• Create some new illustrations for a new page in the book. What other animals could Albie and his mum find in the supermarket?

Music

• Compose a radio jingle to advertise Supermarket Zoo.

Geography

• Draw a map of Supermarket Zoo with different types of animals in each aisle (e.g. marine creatures, insects, jungle animals, pets).

Languages

• Can you find out the names of different animals in other languages? Could you make some signs for the supermarket so that foreign visitors can find their way around?