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In the Wild

by David Elliott
In the Wild by David Elliott; illus. by Holly Meade Preschool, Primary Candlewick 32 pp. 8/10 978-0-7636-4497-0 $16.99
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RedReviewStarThirteen animals—a worldwide selection—are featured in full-spread woodcut-and-watercolor art. Meade captures both essence and habitat of these favorites: a jaguar prowls the jungle floor, up front in the picture plane; a margin-exceeding buffalo ruminates on his fate; a kangaroo leaps into the distance; an evanescent polar bear is immersed in a blue-green sea. Elliott's verses, though deftly composed, are somewhat less dynamic than these handsome portraits. There are paradoxes ("Big, yet moves / with grace. / Powerful, yet delicate / as lace... / When peaceful, silent; / when angry, loud. / Who would have guessed / the Elephant / is so much like a cloud?"); wry thoughts ("I wish we had, / for Zebra's sake, / a different alphabet"); predictable rhymes (preposterous with rhinoceros); and a nice reference to William Blake's "Tyger" ("fire, fire, burning bright—"). Elliott seems to refer to the polar bear's endangered status in his final poem, with the bear swimming "from / floe / to / floe. / Oh! / Look! She's / disappearing..." but then pulls his punches, with the bear, apparently safe, "disappearing / in the snow." A beautiful book, not quite as lighthearted as it first appears. JOANNA RUDGE LONG
Gr 1—3—Elliott and Meade follow the attractive pattern of their On the Farm (Candlewick 2008). A lion standing alone on a grassy plain leads off the assortment of 14 mammals introduced in short, reflective poems and bold, energetic woodblock scenes. Elliott's spare verses vary in length and form with bits of humor, some lovely use of language and imagery, and an occasional thought-provoking reference. The poet addresses the orangutan as a cousin—How nice to have someone like you/sitting in our family tree"—and he reminds readers that the mighty and long-suffering buffalo "once was sixty-million strong." Meade's woodblock prints, striking dark forms washed in watercolor, have just a hint of humor and capture the powerful wild nature of the creatures as well. The poems are read-aloud gems, and the book is versatile in both audience and potential uses.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
In full-spread woodcut and watercolor art, Meade captures both the essences and habitats of fourteen worldwide animals: a jaguar prowling the jungle floor, an evanescent polar bear immersed in a blue-green sea, etc. Elliott's deftly composed verses include paradoxes ("Big, yet moves / with grace") and wry thoughts. A beautiful book, not quite as lighthearted as it first appears.
Reviewed by Margaret Bush , Sep 01, 2010

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