Volume 1 Number 12
September 1, 1995

Wild in the City.

Jan Thornhill.
Toronto: Owl Books, 1995. 32pp, cloth, $14.95.
Distributed by Firefly Books.
ISBN 1-895688-33-7

Grades K - 3 / Ages 5 - 9.
Review by Harriet Zaidman.

excerpt:

Jenny's mother is tucking her in when Jenny hears a soft ``churr, churr, churr" coming through the open window.

image So opens Jan Thornhill's urban adventure story about the wild animals that are our neighbours. This is a lovely book, which can be used as a non-fiction resource, but which also tells a good story. Wild animals have adapted to an environment created by humans, and the marvels of their adaptation can be seen at any time of the day or night.

image

The story begins at dusk, as Jenny goes to sleep, just as the raccoons come out for a night of foraging. The story of one animal leads to the next, through the night-time activity of bats and skunks, and around the clock to more conventional animals, such as squirrels, robins, and so on. The book is beautifully illustrated, as readers who have read Thornhill's other works, Wildlife 123, Wildlife ABC, A Tree in the Forest, and Crow and Fox and Other Legends, will expect. The colours are rich and the drawings strong and intriguing. She has captured Canadian neighbourhoods in the pictures of the houses. The animals are appealing, but not overly anthropomorphized. She has also included a puzzle that has a clue in each picture.

This book would be a useful addition to a classroom or library collection, and is an admirable addition to the body of Canadian children's literature.

Highly recommended.

Harriet Zaidman is a Winnipeg teacher/librarian.

Copyright © 1995 the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

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