Run Wild

May 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 4-This lushly illustrated ode to outdoor play and nature should inspire even the most reluctant couch potato to get out and "run wild." A young girl runs past the window of a boy engrossed in some portable screen, inviting him to "OPEN that door and...Chase the wind...Can you grab it?" She has plenty of other suggestions about how to have fun outside like jumping in the mud, running wild, exploring, going for a swim, and observing the wildlife. "Take a deep breath. 1-2-3! Be a fish in the salty sea. Now, UP for air! Just float there...Waves. Rolling. Daydreams. Flowing." There are birds, beetles, worms, clams, butterflies, chipmunks, and slugs to see. The back blurb reveals that Covell "grew up in the wilds of Maine and only came home when it was time for dinner." The joys and wonders of his childhood are vividly recalled in this invigorating, celebratory poem. Full spreads in bold, impressionistic pen-and-ink and watercolor images reflect the movement and freedom of the outdoors. VERDICT A perfect choice for units on country life, nature, the environment, or healthy living. Well-suited to storytime and small group sharing.-Barbara Auerbach, Formerly at New York City Public Schools

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 30, 2018
Some nature books focus on careful, quiet observation. Covell (the Rat and Roach books) knows that nature makes kids want to move. Bold, exuberant watercolor spreads burst with energy, and a handwritten font makes the text look as if it’s dashed off in chalk. A boy sits indoors when a girl with dark, curly hair sprints by his window. “Hey, you, Sky’s blue!/ (forget your shoes)/ Open that door and.../ Sprout, you’re out!” Now he’s outside, his bare feet pumping through dandelions, catching up. The boy runs hard; they scare up a rabbit, painted in a few strong strokes. Girl and boy emerge from the forest to the seashore; then, a thunderstorm breaks. Things can go wrong in the rain (and in life, Covell suggests): “There’ll be/ slippery slumps./ Bruises./ Bumps.../ and Rotten/ Stumps!” But with the girl’s encouragement (“Come on, then./ Let’s GO!”), the boy’s up and running again. Through powerful art and punchy text, Covell celebrates freedom, the out-of-doors, the joy of movement, and the importance of paying attention to the present moment. Ages 3–up.

May 15, 2018
Preschool-G Summertime! Freedom! Running through the woods and along the beach with nothing to do but enjoy the day. Author-illustrator Covell imparts an ideal image of a magical, carefree childhood day where just being alive is exciting. Two children, a girl and a boy, only cease running when they stop to cool off in the tranquil azure sea. Otherwise, the energy abounds as the two experience the natural world, including a thunderous storm. Crayon-and-watercolor pictures are filled with color and movement as the pair encounter critters including butterflies, beetles, a slug, and a ground squirrel, while constantly being followed by an inquisitive bird. Short sentences, some with question marks and others with exclamation marks, flow easily and keep pace with the children's feet: Chase the wind . . . Can you grab it? Go ahead . . . Race a rabbit! They run, literally, to the end of day, when the moon appears and it's time for the adventure to wind down. A perfect invitation to go out and explore nature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
"Hey, you. Sky's blue!... OPEN that door and... / Sprout, you're out!" Covell's effusive text is a pep talk in verse promoting the great outdoors. The featured girl and boy race a rabbit, try to outrun a storm, and more. The rhymes are as fresh as the never-a-dull-moment art, which seems to switch media and palette with every page turn.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from April 15, 2018
A child's world appears in black and white--body indoors and face fixed to a screen--until another child zips by with an invitation to join in a barefoot ramble through the untamed outdoors. To rhythmic, clipped verse, the pair runs, jumps, and swims through forest and water scenes. They pause to play, to pretend, and to savor. But it's not all sunshine. A pop-up storm serves as a metaphor for life's mixed weather patterns. "Rain dumps. / There'll be slippery slumps. / Bruises. Bumps... / and ROTTEN STUMPS!" The storm passes and the sun returns, so the adventure continues. Covell's illustrations are exuberant, projecting to readers the raw joy and wonder of exploring the natural world. Thick strokes of what looks like watercolor bleed past bold crayon outlines, creating a delightfully messy sense of movement. This pace matches the staccato rhythm of the fast-flowing rhyming text. The skin tones of the children shift through various shades of beige and brown. Though Covell's intention for the racial ambiguity is unclear, this inclusion of brown-skinned children encouraged to run "wild" in green spaces is a hugely welcome one given their historic exclusion from same.This sweetly unruly book is destined for mud-stained and ripped pages, as it is sure to accompany many a child on wild adventures in their own parks, playgrounds, and backyards. (Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.