Wild Feelings

June 1, 2015
Milgrim uses animal metaphors (and costumes) to acknowledge that feelings can be overwhelming. “Do you ever feel... as stubborn as a mule?” he asks, as a father attempts to send his donkey-suit-wearing daughter off to bed. A boy who is afraid of a dog is “as chicken as a chicken,” and when a girl feels “totally and completely alone,” she appears in a wolf suit, howling in a moonlit desert. Sympathetic language (“Of course you do. Everyone does”), the revelation that it isn’t just kids who get moody, and the friendly energy of Milgrim’s cartooning make this a humorously reassuring take on the idea of allowing even the wildest emotions their time and place. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

June 15, 2015
A compassionate look at feelings uses animal similes to affirm universal human emotions. A child dressed as a lion roars the word "FEELINGS" in the display type on the book's cover. The conceit of animal costumes as visual metaphor for emotions described in the text carries on to depict children who are feeling as "stubborn as a mule" and "clumsy as an ox" and "sad as a lost kitten in the rain," among other states. Milgrim's boldly outlined, digitally produced illustrations expand beyond their focuses on the children to provide context for the highlighted feelings-the child who feels "as chicken as a chicken" is afraid of a friendly-looking dog on a leash, for example. Perhaps the greatest strength of the book is its concluding incorporation of adults. Big feelings aren't merely the domain of childhood, the picture assures readers, thus normalizing a range of human emotions as "only natural." A clever visual coda shows a child, stripped of animal get-ups and any clothing at all, running free. A picture book to feel good about. (Picture book. 2-5)

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May 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-Beginning with the question, "Do you ever feel.../as stubborn as a mule?" this picture book demonstrates a gentle understanding of feelings that can often confuse and overwhelm young children. Illustrated in Milgrim's distinctive cartoon style with bold lines and plenty of white space, a relatively diverse cast of children dressed in animal costumes experiences a wide range of emotions. Most spreads employ familiar similes-"as small as a mouse" and "as clumsy as an ox"-while others rely more on the illustrations for illumination and may require some adult explanation. For example, the phrase "totally and completely alone" doesn't include an animal comparison but is paired with a child in a wolf costume howling at the moon, and feeling "batty" simply shows a child in a bat costume hanging from the ceiling of a schoolroom. In the end, Milgrim's message that everyone, even adults, has these feelings and "it's only natural" will resonate with young audiences and remind grown-ups that there are times when we all need help navigating emotional highs and lows. VERDICT Milgrim's lighthearted illustrations and empathetic understanding of child behavior make this a first purchase and a good choice both for one-on-one discussions and for storytime.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Sacramento Public Library, CA

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