Pajama Press

“Rating: E…The illustrations elevate the simple rhythmic text by showing the child on each succeeding page as the very animal she is imitating with great charm. The watercolour and ink drawings are delightful, appealing and beautifully done. Thematic Links: Imagination; Play; Bedtime”
—Isobel Lang

Read the full review on page 46 of the February 2018 issue of Resource Links Magazine

“What a sweet, sweet story!…Highly recommended for public and school libraries, as well as a gift for the younger children in your life. I will be using for a read aloud in my 4-year-old kindergarten classes once I can get a copy for my library and will be buying as a gift for many little girls in the future.”

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“The turn of a page allows readers to predict the next animal comparison, and ink-and-watercolor illustrations record her play with busy movement….VERDICT A recommended general purchase, this read-aloud choice fosters inference and opportunity for shared reading in home or preschool.”
—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Read the full review in the February 2018 issue of School Library Journal

“Wild One by Jane Whittingham and illustrated by Noel Tuazon is just adorable….

Rhyming stories are notoriously difficult to pull off well without seeming forced; most publishers won’t touch them. Here, they flow – and still manage to surprise….Whittingham’s smooth rhyme and consistent rhythm are beautifully matched with the illustrations. Tuazon catches the expressions of a child on adventure just so, and his animals make this reader smile with every page. (That whale!) The watercolours brighten the page while suggesting the blending of everyday and imagination – watercolours, like Let’s Pretend and other imaginative games, never truly stay within the lines.

The endpages are gorgeous.”

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“Canadian librarian and writer Jane Whittingham and Canadian illustrator Noel Tuazon have teamed up to bring readers the exuberant, fun and all-around winning picture book Wild One. Written in rhyming couplets- a form in picture books I absolutely adore when done fittingly – Wild One tells the story of a young girl’s very busy, very active day, with actions mirroring those of animals. Accompanied by Noel Tuazon’s soft yet sunny and bright illustrations, Wild One is a lovely treat….

Overall, a joyful, fun and charming picture book. Perfect for a preschool age and under crowd, I think Wild One would go over tremendously well as a read aloud with busy, wiggly and active toddlers. It could even be used by a willing reader to facilitate an action/movement read aloud with everyone acting out the animal movements in the story! Wild One is a picture book that begs for reading aloud and having fun with, due its ideal compact length, clarity, perfectly fun rhymes, and complementary (adorable) illustrations.”

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Wild One by Jane Whittingham and illustrator Noel Tuazon has been selected for the Toronto Public Library’s 2017 First and Best list.

The First and Best list is Toronto Public Library’s “top picks of the best Canadian children’s books for building reading readiness in kids under five.” Click here to see all the First and Best selections of 2017.

“From morning to bedtime, this little girl is go, go, go! She’s not just a wild thing, she’s the Wild One!…

Wild One is Jane Whittingham’s first picture book and it’s a charming recount of a child’s day filled with play and activity. Kids love pretending that they are animals–how often do they imagine themselves to be bears growling or dogs barking or snakes slithering?–but here Jane Whittingham demonstrates, playfully, that we belong in the animal kingdom, sharing many attributes with animals far and wide….[Noel Tuazon’s] style here is appropriately light, subtle and simple, as complements the story of a preschooler’s life. The detail is unnecessary as the pairing of an activity with an animal is all that is needed, especially for the very young for whom this book is written.”

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“An exuberant little girl, the titular ‘wild one,’ romps energetically all day before finally collapsing into a well-deserved slumber….The rhyming text flows smoothly and has a jaunty rhythm that lends itself well to reading aloud. The playful watercolors start off saturated with bright colors that become muted as the child’s day comes to a sleepy end. A sweet read-aloud featuring a fearless and athletic girl to share with funny little monkeys.”

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“[A] cute story by Burnaby, British Columbia, librarian Jane Whittingham…The illustrations look like they have been done in watercolour, which I love, and the little girl, and the animals she turns into, are realistic and cute. I can see how a child would stretch like a cat or hang like a bat.

What I also like about this book, and Pajama Press does it often, is the actual feel and look of the it. It has nice weight to it, padded cover, rounded corners and extra-heavy paper.”

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“This fun picture book shows a young girl going through her day energetically, and compares her escapades with the actions of various animals, from bats to eels….This is a good book for bedtime as well, as it ends with the girl tucked up in bed, ready for sleep….A short, fun read that will likely become a favourite for little ones.”

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