Cubs in the Tub: The True Story of the Bronx Zoo's First Woman Zookeeper

By Candace Fleming

Book Overview

Fred and Helen Martini longed for a baby, and they ended up with dozens of lion and tiger cubs

Snuggle up to this purr-fect read aloud about the Bronx Zoo's first female zookeeper.

When Bronx zookeeper Fred brought home a lion cub, Helen Martini instantly embraced it. The cub's mother had lost the instinct to care for him. "Just do for him what you would do with a human baby," Fred suggested...and she did. Helen named him MacArthur, fed him milk from a bottle, and cooed him to sleep in a crib.

Soon enough, MacArthur was not the only cub bathing in the tub The couple continued to raise lion and tiger cubs as their own, until they were old enough to return to zoos. In time, Helen became the first female zookeeper at the Bronx Zoo, the keeper of the nursery.

This is a terrific non-fiction book to read aloud while snuggling up with your cubs. Filled with adorable baby cats, Cubs in the Tub is a story of love, dedication, and a special kind of family.

Gorgeously patterned illustrations by Julie Downing detail the Martinis' in-home nursery, and a warm pallet creates a cozy pairing with Candace Fleming's lovely language. At the end, find a short biography of Helen Martini and a selected bibliography.

A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Named to the Texas Topaz Reading List

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823443183
• ISBN13: 9780823443185
• Release Date: August 2020
• Publisher: Neal Porter Books
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.6" x 11.1"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3