WILD ONE

An exuberant little girl, the titular “wild one,” romps energetically all day before finally collapsing into a well-deserved slumber.

A series of similes compares the child, who has glossy, straight black hair and light brown skin, to various animals: “Wild one, through the grass, // bounding like a puppy. / Wild one, at the pool, // swimming like a guppy.” Most of the time she is pictured alone, except for a sprinkler scene in which she plays with one white and one black child, the section where she walks home with her mother, and one illustration in which her mother and father (who resemble her in physical appearance) gaze fondly at her as she sleeps alone in her own bedroom. 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.