Review: Wild One by Jane Whittingham, illus. Noel Tuazon
Source: Hardcopy courtesy of Pajama Press. Thank you!
Publication:
Book Description:

Can you stretch like a cat or hang like a bat? This little one can do those things and so much more as she bounds energetically through her day. Author Jane Whittingham‘s sprightly couplets take her from the park to the pool, to dinner and bed, while Noel Tuazon cleverly illustrates the animal companions of a child’s imagination.

Published in a sturdy format with a padded cover, rounded corners, and extra-heavy paper, this picture book is perfect for sharing with wiggly, little wild ones of your own. And as the last pages are turned, the story’s final, sweet “goodnight” will leave the liveliest listeners ready to snuggle like a bear at bedtime.

Canadian librarian and writer Jane Whittingham (who you might know from the terrific review blog Raincity Jane) and Canadian illustrator Noel Tuazon have teamed up to bring readers the exuberant, fun and all-around winning picture book Wild One. Written in rhyming couplets- a form in picture books I absolutely adore when done fittingly – Wild One tells the story of a young girl’s very busy, very active day, with actions mirroring those of animals. Accompanied by Noel Tuazon’s soft yet sunny and bright illustrations, Wild One is a lovely treat.

When we meet the young heroine of our story, she is “in the park, stretching like a cat”, then moving on to monkey bars, “hanging like a bat”. From the park to the pool, to supper time and snuggling in bed, we follow the little wild one about her dynamic day- well mostly all dynamic! When she has to leave her play time fun and head home with her mom, wild one slows down considerably…but not for long! Wild one goes through her mightily busy day with highlighted actions and activities accompanied by corresponding animal actions (energetically and sweetly brought to life by Tuazon’s drawings). In a sweet closing spread, after snuggling down in her bed “like a bear”, Wild One ends on a loving and continued happy tone, with the young (now sleeping) girl being wished a good night from her parents.

Overall, a joyful, fun and charming picture book. Perfect for a preschool age and under crowd, I think Wild One would go over tremendously well as a read aloud with busy, wiggly and active toddlers. It could even be used by a willing reader to facilitate an action/movement read aloud with everyone acting out the animal movements in the story! Wild One is a picture book that begs for reading aloud and having fun with, due its ideal compact length, clarity, perfectly fun rhymes, and complementary (adorable) illustrations.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Pajama Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.