Wild Baby

by Cori Doerrfeld (Author) Cori Doerrfeld (Illustrator)

Wild Baby
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

The author-illustrator of The Rabbit Listened and Good Dog captures the incredible bond between parent and child with this exuberant picture book about a carefree young ape who goes barreling through the jungle...and the worried mom who must chase after.As her baby goes on a mad dash through the jungle, it's up to mama to make sure the curious little orangutan doesn't get into too much trouble--like dancing on a bear, bouncing on an elephant, or even pulling on a leopard's tail. But when you have a wild baby, life is full of surprises! With a simple, playful rhyme, this adorable and humorous story illustrates the oftentimes chaotic but always loving bond between parent and child.

Wild Baby is sure to capture the heart of fans of Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Smriti Prasadam-Halls, and anyone with a wild child of their own!--New York Times Book Review

Select format:
Hardcover
$17.99

Publishers Weekly

Impulse control? Not for Doerrfeld's little orangutan, who's a "wild baby on the run!" With the baby's increasingly frantic mother in hot pursuit ("Wild jump. Wild free./ Wild baby wait for me!'"), the little monkey gets in all the other jungle families' business, including the egg-filled nest of a furious mama bird ("Wild hands on everything!"). Unbeknownst to the wee monkey--but obvious to readers--the shenanigans have roused a leopard who would love a wild baby snack. Will Mama see the threat and come to the rescue in time? And just how angry will she be? Doerrfeld's reliance on "wild" to drive the rhyming text grows a little repetitive, but her digitally painted forest illustrations have marvelous momentum, striking the right balance between mischievous energy, little monkey glee, and the genuine seriousness of the situation. She establishes a vivid sense of place as the monkeys and the stealthy leopard move through the lush, blue-green tree canopy--and, just as in real life (as adult readers will ruefully note), she shows how everyone else in the jungle becomes transfixed by the chase. Ages 4-8. Agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (Mar.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-K-A wild baby monkey is ready for an adventure in this energetic picture book. Opening on an illustrated scene of a young monkey jumping on their monkey parent, the young one's energy is felt immediately. As the young monkey begins to get into everything, the mother monkey looks on embarrassed and slightly horrified. Then, a butterfly chase ensues with the young monkey running away from his mother. A prowling cheetah soon joins the chase as well, and little ones will enjoy pointing out the danger to the monkeys. Luckily, all ends well with a special gift being given to the mother monkey at the end by her wild child. The digital illustrations convey the movement of the monkeys perfectly, and the energy is contagious. Caregivers in a storytime will especially relate to the mother monkey lecturing the young monkey after their narrow escape from the cheetah. VERDICT A first purchase.-Brooke Newberry, Winding Rivers Library System, West Salem, WI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes


Cori Doerrfeld
Cori Doerrfeld is the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of The Rabbit Listened and has also created art for such books as That's Life! and Help Mom Work from Home! Originally from Illinois, Cori moved to Minnesota for college and quickly fell in love with the state's natural beauty. This book is her homage to the North Shore along Lake Superior as well as the magnificence and mystery one may find when surrounded by nature. It is also a nod to her dad and Grandpa Lenny and an examination of the many layers that make up the human experience. Today, Cori can still be found exploring Minnesota--now with her husband, two children, and rescue dog, Jinx.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062698940
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
March 05, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002020 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Apes, Monkeys, etc.
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV002340 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Jungle Animals
Library of Congress categories
Parent and child
Orangutans

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