Wild Beings

Gr 2-4–“We are wild beings. Born curious and strong.” A wolf howling, rabbits burrowing underground, geese in flight—lush, detailed watercolor illustrations of these and other animals from around the world combined with simple, spare text make this a powerful tale of animals in the wild. Cleverly incorporated into each illustration is evidence that we, too, share this wild planet: a small person waving in the distance, a kite flying along with the birds, human footsteps in the sand. The final illustration—three beautifully rendered children of different ethnicities—join a lion for a loud, wild, roar. Young readers will enjoy identifying or learning about the different animals, and delight in seeking out the subtle ways that human forms are incorporated into the pictures (which may take a second or third look). Educators can easily incorporate this text into lessons about animal characteristics and habitats, geography, expressive language, and more.