Rules of the Wild

November 15, 2004
Newcomers Levin and Shepherd propose that polite behavior might be different in the animal kingdom. "If your mom had a tail/ or your father a mane,/ the rules of your house/ might not be such a pain," announces the text while Shepherd pictures an expressive lion with an exaggerated nose partially crossing out the "don'ts" on a list of house rules ("eat whatever you'd like./ stay up all night," etc.). A child with an oversize ovoid head and spindly limbs enthusiastically roars with the lion, splashes with a dolphin and spits with a camel—all without being scolded. With animal faces drawn in a style reminiscent of Ed Emberley's how-to cartoon books, the creatures romp together, loudly burping, squirting water and the like, and the book includes a comical yes/no chart that asks readers to match appropriate behaviors to each animal (or child). While the overall concept is a clever way to introduce toddlers to basic house rules, the rhyme at times feels forced and the rhythm of the text irregular or too linguistically complex for the audience who would most enjoy the pictures. Page breaks eliminate the repetition of the subjective "would" making the text sound ungrammatical even when it isn't (e.g., "Father Fruit Bat declare, 'You can stay up all night' "). Nonetheless, young readers tired of obeying rules may find this silly walk on the wild side of animal behavior just impudent enough to suit their fancy. Ages 3-8.

October 1, 2004
K-Gr 3 -This clever, well-executed book will grab children's attention and make them laugh. By showing examples of inappropriate behavior for humans that is natural for wild animals, readers are left to draw their own conclusions. And they will. For example, camels spit but polite people don't. Lions roar, but people who do the same are considered rude. Shepherd's illustrations are witty and expressive, and add lots of extra details to the text. The final spread features an illustrated chart that lists behaviors (Are you allowed to]?) down the left side, and headshots of animals and a child across the top, with each matrix filled in with a "YES" or "NO." This book, about a somewhat neglected topic, is a charmer for all libraries that serve children-or wild animals. A great read-aloud for one or many.-Mary Hazelton, Warren Community School, ME

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.