PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Tate's Wild Rescue by Jenny Turnbull & Izzy Burton

TATE'S WILD RESCUE

written by Jenny Turnbull, illustrated by Izzy Burton

Crown Books for Young Readers, 2024

ISBN:978-0-593-56907--8

Source: publisher through Blue Slip Media

Ages 4-8

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book cover & summary & author/illustrator information provided through Blue Slip Media.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A sweet, funny picture book about an animal-loving girl who invites wild animals to live in her house and be her best friend--with mixed results! Back matter also offers ideas for children on how they can help both wild and companion animals!

Tate loves animals, but she worries about the ones who live in the wild—aren’t they cold? Hungry? Lonely?

She is determined to help and comes up with the perfect she’ll offer one a better life and they will be best friends! To her surprise, none of the wild animals she invites to live with her are impressed with her offerings—Orca is not interested in the kiddie pool, and Tiger would rather hunt than settle for cookies. Maybe Tate will have to look a bit closer to home to find her pawsitively perfect match.

Tate’s heartfelt hope to rescue a wild animal combined with the blunt hilarity of their responses makes this charming story perfect for anyone wild about animals!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR

JENNY TURNBULL lives by the sea in Los Angeles. She left a career in film and television to pursue her passion for writing and has never looked back. Tate's Wild Rescue honors her love of animals. When not writing, she enjoys exploring the wild with her husband and her furry best friend, Enzo. Learn more at jennyturnbull.com.


IZZY BURTON is an award-winning director, artist, and writer working in publishing and animation. Beyond her picture books, she makes short films and advertisements and does design work for TV and film. She lives in Brighton, UK, with her rescue pup, Twigs. Learn more at izzyburton.co.uk.

REVIEW

Tate's love of wild animals leads her to invite various animals to join her in her home where she will take care of them and they will be BFFs. To her surprise none of the animals she invites take her up on her offer, they all have reasons for not doing so, such as: wanting to keep hunting (lion), swimming pool too small (orca),  and not wanting to eat cookies (tiger). Tate is not only sad, but confused about why the animals want to keep living in the wild. As the story goes on, the illustrations convey a solution to Tate's conundrum that young readers/listeners are likely to pick up on fairly quickly. The fun is in watching Tate come to that realization herself. The book combines a cute story, appealing illustrations, and an important message about wild animals belonging in the wild. The back matter includes information about supporting wildlife in appropriate ways. There are also tips for helping support homeless pets as well. A fun introduction to an important environmental topic. The letters make for a fun part of the story and could lead to a fun, real-life activity at school or home. Recommended.