By Don Corrigan
When Carolyn Mueller Kelly was age 8, she dreamed of having every birthday party at the St. Louis Zoo; and attending Zoo Camp; and of becoming a zookeeper. Kelly found that, like fairy tales, dreams can come true.
Kelly’s many Zoo dreams continue to come true. The latest dream coming to fruition has a title: “The Story of the St. Louis Zoo.” It’s a book that’s well-suited for any 8 year-old today, but it’s also sure to please any 80 year-old Zoo fan with fun memories.
Carolyn Mueller Kelly with Kali at the Saint Louis Zoo.
“The book celebrates a special, magical place in our community and will teach readers about amazing animals – and the Zoo’s conservation work,” said Kelly. “My goal was to capture the Zoo magic, and Richard Bernal definitely made that happen with his beautiful illustrations.”
Ask Kelly about her favorite magical animals, past and present, and she goes totally gaga. She gushes over Zoo legends like Phil the gorilla, Miss Jim the elephant and Kali the polar bear.
Kelly also has more contemporary creature heroes – with species like the scimitar horned owl, the amazing Aldabra tortoise and the hard-working leaf-cutter ant. They’re all part of a magical menagerie.
“When the Saint Louis Zoo bought that beautiful elephant, she was renamed ‘Jim’ after James Harper, then president of the St. Louis Board of Education,” explained Kelly. “The “Miss’ was added so that people would know she was a female.
“St. Louis school kids made it possible to have an elephant by saving up their pennies to purchase Miss Jim,” added Kelly. I have a co-worker whose great grandmother was one of those kids. She still has a certificate from the Zoo to prove it.”
The furry fellow named Kali was the first polar bear to live at the Zoo’s Polar Bear Point. He was an orphan in the wild before he came to the Gateway City, according to Kelly. He now has matriculated to the Detroit Zoo, but Kali remains a legacy of the Lou.
