A handful of small boats sit abandoned in the floodwaters….

Not far away are small pockets of land above the water that were once a zoo. Buildings long since left to drown poke through the water. A top of an arch here, points of a wrought iron fence there.

Exotic animals left to survive on their own are pleased to see a battered, yellow, towering robot with nöa marked on its outstretched arm, and hands full of food. This robot was once a dam builder along with others but has seen a need. Pandas on a rock, tigers on a small stretch of dirt and elephants in the soggy zoo entrance.

When a storm races in and yet more ground is lost, nöa takes further action, collecting the terrified animals and placing them out of the rising waters. A skilled worker, he builds a vessel to help them escape for good. And still the waters rise. And still storms rage. He too is now at risk.

He is not alone after all, as soon there is another robot and another means of escape. Is there anywhere left that is safe for them all?

A powerful silent picture book showing a world with no human life, just what they’ve built, lost and left behind. Also left behind are a collection of animals facing rising waters. Zoos are a human invention, but what about the robots that come to the animal’s aid? Aren’t they a human invention too?

Climate change and the huge effects on the environment are well known and a future we all may face is within the pictures of this book. There are no humans within these pages, but human characteristics are present. Care, thoughtfulness, empathy and planning are strong in the AI of the robot characters as they strive to save deserted zoo animals.

As in all of Aaron Becker’s books, The Last Zookeeper is one to pore over to fully experience the story that begins as soon as you open the cover. The robots themselves are fascinating, fueled by different types of green energy sources, but showing human emotions and actions.

For me, humankind redeems itself a little through these robots, no matter the blame that lies at its feet. Lets hope this new nöa is not needed.

Beautifully illustrated, thought provoking and leaving me with the desire to ‘read’ it again and again to make sure I didn’t miss a thing.

Author – Illustrator – Aaron Becker

Picture Book

All Ages

See The Last Zookeeper come to life here

(2024, Walker Books UK, Future, Environment, Climate Change, Flooded world, Flooding, Storms, Rising Waters, Zoo, Exotic Animals, Escape, Rescue, Empathy, Care, Silent Book, Wordless Picture Book, Thought Provoking, Robots, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Noah’s Ark Retelling)