Zoobreak

All Aboard Animals represents the real-life challenges animals face in captivity, as well as how people can make a difference in animals’ lives. While a traveling zoo could offer benefits, such as allowing people in different places to learn about animals they wouldn’t otherwise see, the idea only works if the zoo treats the animals well and provides an environment where all the present species can thrive. All Aboard Animals is dark and stuffy, and most of the animals live in enclosures that are too small for them. The animals are underfed and feeble, showing how little Mr. Nastase cares about the creatures. The response of visitors reveals the unfortunate truth about how such zoos are dealt with. With the exception of Savannah, the guests see the zoo either as an experience to take in or as an unfortunate situation they can’t change. In this way, All Aboard Animals is a cautionary tale of what happens when abuse and neglect are ignored, and the zoo also acts as a call to action for readers who wish to see change in the real world.

All Aboard Animals also informs the development of Savannah, Mr. Nastase, and Klaus. The zoo is the catalyst for the main action of the story and Operation Zoobreak. When Savannah realizes Mr. Nastase has Cleopatra held captive, her dedication to rescuing the monkey shows what is possible when committed to a goal. Savannah’s unrelenting sense of justice for the animals leads to freedom and better living arrangements for all those on All Aboard Animals. For Mr. Nastase, the zoo represents the effects of greed, both on the greedy person and those around them. Mr. Nastase doesn’t care how the animals are treated as long as the zoo makes him money. As a result, his greed makes him cruel and unfeeling, and it also physically harms all the animals trapped in the zoo. Throughout the book, Klaus’s attitude toward All Aboard Animals shifts. At first, the zoo is simply something he is paid to guard. As Klaus watches the drama of the stolen animals unfold and realizes that Mr. Nastase acquired the animals illegally, he realizes that the zoo is truly a prison. Even more, he has been guarding its prisoners, making him a barrier between living creatures and the conditions they need to thrive. Watching the children take on Mr. Nastase makes Klaus see the damage he’s done, and he gets a job with the Long Island Zoo to make up for this, showing how injustice can change minds once people are aware injustice is being done.