Walk on the Wild Side

December 15, 2014
More Life in the Wild from Canadian Oldland (Up the Creek, 2013, etc.).A bear, a moose and a beaver are friends, and they love adventure. One day, they decide to climb a nearby mountain. They trek across the countryside and, while having a snack at the base of the mountain, decide to make the trip up the slope a race. The moose's long legs give him an advantage; he pulls ahead of his friends. Then a boulder comes down the cliffside path. In escaping the boulder, the moose falls over the edge and is left hanging from a tree limb. The bear tries to rescue his buddy, but he falls too. The beaver's quick thinking saves everyone. The three friends take the rest of the trip at a slower pace; and that is when they actually begin to enjoy their journey. Oldland's digitally painted, woodcut-style illustrations are as deadpan-charming as ever, and storytime audiences won't find this as predictable as those who present it to them will. The friends' competitiveness plays out believably enough, and the characters' short exclamations in the illustrations will elicit a giggle or two (and participation in subsequent readings). Another fine lesson couched in a tale that never becomes didactic. (Picture book. 3-9)

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February 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Oldland's latest tale starring Bear, Moose, and Beaver is about adventure, competiton, and friendship. Each animal mimics the other as they attempt to climb to the top of the mountain. During the story, Beaver decides that it's time to up the ante and declares, "the race is on!" Unfortunately for Moose, as he rounds a bend on the side of the mountain, a boulder comes toward him. He attempts to lunge out of the way, only to fall off a cliff. Bear hears Moose's cries of distress and attempts to help, only to find himself in trouble as well. Shortly after, Beaver hears his friends in need and comes to the rescue, After returning to safety, they realize that competition is not always best. Subsequently, while exploring together they discover that they enjoy the journey even more. As with many of Oldland's picture books, friendship and teamwork play an important role. Young readers will laugh at the antics of a little red bird as he mirror the actions of the other animals. With simple text and muted, neutral colored folk art-like illustrations done on plain white paper makes this an easy read that flows nicely. VERDICT Probably best for one-on-one sharing, this simple story is a charmer.-Megan McGinnis, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2015
Preschool-G Three competitive friendsa bear, a moose, and a beaverset out to climb a mountain. While eating their snack, they decide to add a race to make the trek more interesting. The moose takes an early lead, but jumps off the mountain to avoid a falling boulder. The beaver rounds the bend, doesn't see the moose, and runs even faster. When the bear hears and sees the moose in distress, he thinks nothing of going after him. With both of his friends now in the same predicament, will the beaver try and succeed in saving his friends? Quick thinking and fast action are on his side. The three decide they have had enough excitement and climb more slowly. At the end of the day, they say the best part of the day was just being together. Using simple text and clear, uncluttered illustrations, Oldland has created a warm story of friendship. Younger listeners might ask for repeat go-rounds to anticipate the sequential events, while emerging readers should find success in reading the words with hints from the illustrations.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Three competitive friends--the bear, moose, and beaver from Up the Creek, etc.--don't just decide to climb a mountain: they decide to race up it. That this is a comically bad idea is captured in near-miss-riddled (and somewhat monotonous) Photoshop art. Happily for the reader, the rivals are ultimately smart enough to recognize that friendship equals victory.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)