Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Tate’s Wild Rescue by Jenny Turnbull, illustrated by Izzy Burton - ADVISABLE

Tate’s Wild Rescue by Jenny Turnbull, illustrated by Izzy Burton. PICTURE BOOK. Crown BYR (Random House), 2024. $19. 9780593569078

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Tate loves animals—especially wild ones. When she starts worrying about them, out in the cold possibly lonely, scared, or hungry, she decides to rescue one. She writes a letter to Lion offering a warm home, bath, and best friend (herself). She adds a P.S. about how he won’t have to hunt because she’ll feed him with a bowl of food fit for a king. Lion replies by declining the invitation for very specific reasons, starting with how no more hunting sounds terrible! So begins Tate’s tenacious efforts to convince a wild animal to live with her, writing a new P.S. to appeal specifically to each animal but which each animal has sound reasons for refusing. After many rejections, she begins noticing the pure joy wild animals display in their natural habitats and among their own kind. Just as she gives up on her idea, she receives an unsolicited letter from exactly the animal BFF she’s been looking for.

The proffer and rejection of her hospitality for specific reasons by each animal teaches young readers several animal facts as well as showing them how to dismiss an unfeasible suggestion with clear reasoning. Teachers could use this story to teach either this important critical-thinking skill or letter-writing skills. The illustrations amp up the engagement for independent readers in a couple ways. Observant readers will notice a picture clue about what animal Tate is writing to next, which is not clearly revealed through the words until you turn the page. They can also find her ultimate animal companion on each spread.

Tate is portrayed as a dark-skinned, tooth-gapped girl with big eyes and wavy hair cropped above her shoulders.

P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian



No comments:

Post a Comment

Welcome to Kiss the Book Jr.!

Welcome! Kiss the Book Jr. is for board books, picture books, early readers, and chapter books.  Also, any novels and non-fiction that we ag...