~ tracking down this book ~
"Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper, always made time to visit his good friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl. But one day--'Ah-choo! '--he woke with the sniffles and the sneezes. Though he didn't make it into the zoo that day, he did receive some unexpected guests. "--Dust jacket.