Run Wild

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[em]. (June) [/em]