Zoo heroes

Written by Marina Micahelidou-Kadi

Illustrated by Kate Herbert

Teleia Publications, 2026

That spring, there was an eerie silence in the city zoo. People stayed indoors, school trips were cancelled, and everyone was talking about one thing: the approaching war. When the first explosions were heard and people began fleeing the city, the zoo animals had no way to escape. Could they be saved?

Inspired by true events, this story highlights the strong bond between animals and the people who care for them, even in times of war.

Reviews:

“So beautiful, so kind, so, ultimately, heroic, that it makes you sad when it ends and, as a small token of gratitude to [the heroes of the story] and, above all, to Marina Michaelidou-Kadi, whose sensitivity warmly envelops her words and whose tale is a hymn to humanity, to what we are, or to what we should be, even when bombs are exploding all around, houses are being demolished, zoos are being leveled, you read it for a second time. You are happy to hold in your hands such wise stories that should first be read by adults and then by children.” Andreas Kounios, “Alithia”