  | Something wild Author: Ruttan, Molly | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Hannah's performance jitters about her violin recital lead to some imaginative what ifs before she finds her confidence.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (12/01/22)
Booklist (02/15/23)
The Hornbook (00/05/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 02/01/2023 Playing violin has always brought Hannah joy, but she has no desire to perform publicly. On school-recital day, she “secretly wished something wild would happen . . . so she wouldn’t have to go!” What follows is a series of imaginative flights of fancy—a bird flies away with her concert outfit; a rabbit hops into the kitchen and absconds with her violin; dolphins carry her away on an overflowing fountain—but none of them come true, and Hannah reluctantly arrives at the school. Soon, her recital’s underway, and though “her legs wobbled, and her heart pounded,” once she starts, “something wild” finally occurs—her joy for playing takes over. Ruttan's whimsical story sympathetically depicts an experience likely familiar for lots of children: overcoming stage fright. Her charming, expressive illustrations, in charcoal, pastels, and watercolor, entertainingly interweave the realistic settings with Hannah's fanciful daydreams, which nicely extend the text. This is sure to strike a chord with kid musicians, and the encouragement of family and rewards of following passions are heartening and reassuring notes to end on. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
Booklist - 02/15/2023 Playing violin has always brought Hannah joy, but she has no desire to perform publicly. On school-recital day, she “secretly wished something wild would happen . . . so she wouldn’t have to go!” What follows is a series of imaginative flights of fancy—a bird flies away with her concert outfit; a rabbit hops into the kitchen and absconds with her violin; dolphins carry her away on an overflowing fountain—but none of them come true, and Hannah reluctantly arrives at the school. Soon, her recital’s underway, and though “her legs wobbled, and her heart pounded,” once she starts, “something wild” finally occurs—her joy for playing takes over. Ruttan's whimsical story sympathetically depicts an experience likely familiar for lots of children: overcoming stage fright. Her charming, expressive illustrations, in charcoal, pastels, and watercolor, entertainingly interweave the realistic settings with Hannah's fanciful daydreams, which nicely extend the text. This is sure to strike a chord with kid musicians, and the encouragement of family and rewards of following passions are heartening and reassuring notes to end on. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
