In the fourth book in the New York Times –bestselling chapter book series about the childhood of America's favorite housekeeper, Amelia Bedelia and her friends build a zoo in the backyard (complete with stuffed animals and attractions) and offer safari adventures to the entire neighborhood. Includes a guide to the idioms used in the book and features black-and-white art throughout. Amelia Bedelia takes everything literally, and that leads to all kinds of silly misunderstandings. The bestselling and beloved housekeeper has been making readers laugh for more than fifty years. Amelia Bedelia has a warm and positive attitude, and she has fun with language, vocabulary, and idioms. Short, fast-paced chapters, tons of friends and funny situations, and black-and-white illustrations on every page make the Amelia Bedelia chapter books an ideal choice for readers of the Ivy + Bean, Magic Tree House, and Judy Moody books. The Amelia Bedelia books have sold more than 35 million copies! With Amelia Bedelia, anything can happen. Amelia Bedelia has an amazing idea! She decides to build a zoo in her backyard. Better yet, she invites all her friends to bring their pets and help plan the exhibits and rides. But when a real, live squirrel monkey escapes from the real city zoo, Amelia Bedelia's backyard zoo becomes the talk of the town! Look out! Here comes Amelia Bedelia, and she is going wild! Herman Parish (1953-2024) was in the fourth grade when his aunt, Peggy Parish, created Amelia Bedelia, the literal-minded housekeeper. Peggy Parish wrote twelve books in the series before she passed away in 1988. The interest of educators and the enthusiasm of young readers prompted Herman Parish to continue the character in 1995 with his first book, Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia . Herman Parish went on to add more than forty books to the series, carrying on Amelia Bedelia’s adventures in books such as the bestselling Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm. Additionally, Herman Parish broke new ground by portraying Amelia Bedelia as a young girl. Young Amelia is featured in picture books for the youngest children, I Can Read Level 1 beginning readers, and a series of chapter books. Sixty million copies later, Amelia Bedelia is a beloved character for readers young and old. Lynne Avril is a painter and illustrator, best known for her work on the young Amelia Bedelia book series, written by Herman Parish. She has illustrated well over 100 books in her career. As a painter, her works are visual journals of her life, reflecting thoughts, travels, and music (she’s a bass player too!). Lynne Avril grew up in Montana and received her BA in art from the University of Montana, and lives in Portland, Oregon.