Wild Week by Teresa Porcella, illustrations by Carmen Queralt

Wild Week by Teresa Porcella, illustrations by Carmen Queralt. Barefoot Books, 9781782859758, 2020 

Format: PDF Review Copy (Board Book available March, 2020)

Rating:  1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Genre: Picture Book

 What did you like about the book? In this silly story, there is a mixed-matched group of animals doing crazy activities on each day of the week all around the house. Monday begins with a hen laying an egg in the kitchen while Tuesday has a shark resting on a comfy pillow in the living room. Throughout the rest of the week, other animals such as a koala, panda, bird, and skunk continue to explore the playroom, balcony, bedroom, and the bathroom. They all finally gather on Sunday outside a young child’s bedroom window because that is the day that they all play together. This story is a great way to introduce the days of the week and different parts of a home to a young child.

The illustrations provided by Carmen Queralt are vivid and whimsical and capture the complete silliness of the story. Children will laugh at the illustrations of a koala coloring a picture, a shark sleeping on a couch, and a skunk combing its hair. This is also a lift-the-flap book, so children will be engaged in the story with that feature.

Anything you did not like about the book. Nothing

To whom would you recommend this book? This book is perfect for children under the age of four. It is a lift-the-flap book and children will enjoy discovering what happens next. I reviewed a PDF copy, but it appears the flaps are circular and the connection to the page is pretty solid–the top ⅓ of the circle is attached to the page, so it should hold up to repeated use.

Who should buy this book? Public libraries, preschools, daycare centers, anyone who works with children younger than four years old.

Where would you shelve it? Board Books

 Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes, the bright illustrations and silly text will be a sure hit. Also features days of the week and parts of a home to young children.

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City: Kristin Guay, former youth services librarian.

Date of review: April 30, 2020