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“Rhymes at the Zoo”–a group effort for Take Your Kids to Work Day. [#831, May 2017]
by Matt Jones
© 2017, 2020 Matt Jones

Across
1 Sound of a punch [E] {I created this puzzle for Take Your Kids To Work Day in collaboration with my then-nine-year-old twins. Clues followed by an [S] were written by Sid, and clues followed by an [E] were written by Ella.}
5 Green paper that you pay with [E]
9 They make up stairs [E]
14 Make goo-goo eyes at
15 Tennis’s Arthur _ Stadium
16 Like some dirt bike tracks [S]
17 Fearsome cat that spends moolah on Lamborghinis and mansions? [S]
19 Former “Come on down!” announcer Johnny 20 “I open this jar. Can you help, Daddy?” [E]
21 Monkey that eats curtains? [E]
23 “Gimme ! … What’s that spell? Ella!” [E]
24 There are 100 in a century (abbr.) [S]
26 Something a toy poodle says [E]
27 Rat-a- [E]
28 Something that people say in awe [E]
30 Pookums [E]
35 Scaly creature that likes to eat frosted sweets? [S]
37 Ninja Turtle that wears red, to his friends [S]
40 Getting from B
41 Kid that can have a cellphone [S]
42 Bird that smokes and does vandalism? [E]
47 Sneaky little animal [E]
48 gin fizz
49 Kid who is “epic!” [S]
52 The on the Shelf [S]
54 Sid: “I’m not years old anymore.” Me: “No, I mean as in ‘I _ some food.'”
55 Palindromic Turkish title
56 Water animal with flippers that makes barters 24/7? [S]
61 Wants really badly [S]
63 Go off-script (sorry, Ella, it doesn’t mean “get more pounds”)
64 Slow animal that grows wings and gets in your clothes? [E]
66 She was a princess “long ago” [E]
67 “The coolest kid in the universe” [E]
68 Lake that sounds scary [E]
69 Me: “How about the clue ‘Used needles,’ Ella?” Ella: “No, new needles. You have to use them because it affects the fabric more than you expect.”
70 Martens and McStuffins, for instance [S]
71 Air France fliers, once

Down
1 Type of wild “kitty-kitty” 🙂 [E]
2 Type of lizard in “Sing” [E]
3 Horse’s mesh protection against pests, maybe
4 Sinn _ (Irish political movement)
5 Spike thrown in the road to stop robbers [S]
6 “ was saying …” [E]
7 Like show horses’ feet
8 “ Danger” (Nickelodeon show) [E]
9 Quaint stores (you’d think, based on how they’re spelled)
10 Piece that goes on the floor [S]
11 Queen in Arendelle [E]
12 Water drop sound [E]
13 “Auld Lang ” 18 Something said in an “argument party” [S]
22 Teacher’s helper [E]
25 Region with Legoland, informally [S]
29 Dislikes [S]
31 Poker money
32 “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Jepsen [E]
33 “I Like ” (’50s political slogan)
34 “Hallow” ending
35 Someone who might cook meatballs for you [S]
36 Animal that’s cute, fuzzy, lazy and gray [E]
37 for “Ricky Bubwick” (apparently a name that Sid just made up)
38 Everyone [S]
39 Toilet paper layer
43 Turns evil or moldy [E]
44 Remote control car part [S]
45 Tag situations? [S]
46 Looks rudely
49 Enjoys, as food [S]
50 “Understood” [S]
51 Marks that are lines [S]
53 Popular [E]
56 Parents “who do puzzled goodness” [S]
57 Brickell whose band is the New Bohemians
58 “There ought to be _”
59 It may be parallel [E]
60 Olympic hurdler/bobsledder Jones
62 Drinks that are alcoholic [S]
65 “Waterfalls” trio

Solution