Walk on the Wild Side

PreS-Gr 2—Oldland's latest tale starring Bear, Moose, and Beaver is about adventure, competiton, and friendship. Each animal mimics the other as they attempt to climb to the top of the mountain. During the story, Beaver decides that it's time to up the ante and declares, "the race is on!" Unfortunately for Moose, as he rounds a bend on the side of the mountain, a boulder comes toward him. He attempts to lunge out of the way, only to fall off a cliff. Bear hears Moose's cries of distress and attempts to help, only to find himself in trouble as well. Shortly after, Beaver hears his friends in need and comes to the rescue, After returning to safety, they realize that competition is not always best. Subsequently, while exploring together they discover that they enjoy the journey even more. As with many of Oldland's picture books, friendship and teamwork play an important role. Young readers will laugh at the antics of a little red bird as he mirror the actions of the other animals. With simple text and muted, neutral colored folk art-like illustrations done on plain white paper makes this an easy read that flows nicely.