The Busy Beaver (Life in the Wild)

by Nicholas Oldland (Author) Nicholas Oldland (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
The busy but careless beaver spends his days following random impulses, rarely thinking things through and leaving in his wake a devastated forest filled with stumps, half-nibbled trees and injured, homeless animals. But then one day the beaver finds himself on the wrong side of a falling tree, which as it turns out, is just the thing to knock some sense into him. After reflecting on his behavior, he decides to make some changes. Soon, the now wiser and gentler beaver is getting down to the business of making things right, much to the delighted surprise of his forest friends. This charming story from the creator of Big Bear Hug and Making the Moose Out of Life gently teaches youngsters how to take care with others, as well as the world around us.
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School Library Journal

PreS-K--Beaver's exuberance for his work leads to careless accidents for a bear, moose, and bird's nest, and eventually for himself. After recuperating from "one bent tail, two broken limbs, three cracked ribs...," Beaver realizes he has a great deal for which to atone. He exercises, reads a how-to book, and practices apologies. His return is greeted by fear until he shows his newfound consideration with gifts and kind deeds. Once accepted at home, Beaver dreams of becoming a dam-building instructor, playing in an animal band, and taking more naps. He chooses the last. The comic Photoshop illustrations have a stop-action effect and creative attention to detail. Try this title as bibliotherapy for youngsters who need to focus on impulse control.--Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Written and illustrated in the same breezy style as Big Bear Hug and Making the Moose Out of Life--whose protagonists play supporting roles in this outing--Oldland's small-format book sounds clear notes about being conscientious of one's surroundings. A careless beaver is oblivious to the consequences of his actions: he "always made a mess of the forest," leaving trees half-chewed and felling "more than he needed." His recklessness even more directly affects his fellow forest dwellers when a tree he's chomping falls on a bear's head, and he chews a moose's leg, mistaking it for a tree. But after a tree that the beaver is gnawing on lands on his own head, and he's hospitalized, he finally reflects on the damage he's caused. Following his recovery the beaver puts his energy to positive use and makes amends to the forest and his friends. Cool, natural colors dominate Oldland's digital pictures, which are highlighted by humorous images of the bug-eyed, big-toothed hero. The art's quirkiness and the text's droll delivery contribute equally to the lighthearted tone of this cautionary tale. Ages 3-7. (Aug.)

Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Great bibliotherapy for any inattentive busy beaver.—Kirkus Reviews
Nicholas Oldland
Nicholas Oldland enjoyed success as a commercial artist before taking up the role of creative director at Hatley and Little Blue House, popular apparel companies he runs with his brothers. He is the author-illustrator of the Life in the Wild series and Dinosaur Countdown. Nicholas lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his family.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781554537495
Lexile Measure
790
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Kids Can Press
Publication date
August 01, 2011
Series
Life in the Wild
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002160 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Mammals
JUV029010 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Environment
Library of Congress categories
Beavers

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