In the Wild

In the Wild. David Elliott. Illustrated by Holly Meade. 2010. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.

I really enjoyed David Elliott's On the Farm. Once again, Elliott poems are paired with Holly Meade's beautiful woodcut and watercolor illustrations.

The animals featured in this poetry book include: the lion, the elephant, the giraffe, the zebra, the rhinoceros, the sloth, the jaguar, the panda, the tiger, the orangutan, the kangaroo, the buffalo, the wolf, and the polar bear. While I didn't love all the poems equally--there were a few I didn't like at all--for the most part I just loved this one. My favorite poems are the ones about the elephant and the tiger. Why? Because both made me think!

Big, yet moves
with grace.
Powerful, yet delicate
as lace.

As to color, plain--
an ordinary gray.
But once we start to look,
we cannot look away.

When peaceful, silent;
When angry, loud.

Who would have guessed
the Elephant
is so much like a cloud?

I would definitely recommend both On the Farm and In the Wild.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers