Wild Brunch: Poems About How Creatures Eat

by David L. Harrison, Giles Laroche (illustrator)

Young wildlife lovers are invited to explore how and why animals eat what they do in this nonfiction poetry picture book collection for kids.

Explore how narwhals, jellyfish, hippos, piranhas, and many more species of swimming, land-based, and flying animals satisfy their appetites in a collection of culinary poems.

A creative companion to Now You See Them, Now You Don' Poems About Creatures That Hide and A Place to Start a Poems About Creatures That Build by celebrated author and science expert David L. Harrison and award-winning illustrator, Giles Laroche.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Animals, Childrens

35 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

WILD BRUNCH has such captivating illustrations with fun poems about the eating habits of different animals, from hippos to jellyfish, narwhals to piranhas. While geared to readers 5-9, this adult found it delightful!

[Kathy Temean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible. How could it not with David's delightful poems and Giles' stunning illustrations? Everyone in the family, including teachers, will want to own this book. Kids love animals and little creatures. This book is loaded with enjoyable poems that capture the essence of the animals and little creatures, sharing details about how they find food and eat.

I learned many interesting things while reading this book. Like, Mayflies don't have mouths, so they don't eat. I never thought about their little lives. They only live for a few minutes to one day. During that time, their job is to mate. They swarm up from lakes and rivers, sometimes by the millions, looking to mate in midair before they die. But young mayflies, called nymphs, live underwater for up to two years, and they do eat. They mostly nibble water plants and forms of algae, nourishing their bodies until it’s time to change form, swim to the surface, fly, and find a mate.

Some will refer to Gilds' creations as Illustrations, but they are so much more. Each page is a real work of art. He uses cut paper and slowly builds each feather on each bird, the veins in the leaves, the translucent tentacles, and the oral arms of a jellyfish. Otters have millions of hairs that make up their fur. I don't know how many paper hairs Giles used, but the result was a real-looking, interesting otter. 

The book ends with more information for each category and the animals or little creatures in the book.

Example: SWIMMING EATERS: Jellyfish Medusozoa - Narwhal - Monodon monoceros - Piranha Serrasalmidae - Otter Enhydra lutris.

LAND-BASED EATERS:  Aardvark Orycteropus afer - Koala Phascolarctos cinereus - Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius - African Bush Elephant Loxodonta africana

FLYING EATERS: Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura - Mexican Free-Tailed Bat Tadarida brasiliensis  -  Housefly Musca domestica - Seagull Laridae

Teachers will love the extra information on books where they can find more information.

I thought it was a great touch to end with the May Fly, a little insect that doesn't have a mouth and can't eat.

Also, I thought the book title, WILD BRUNCH, was perfect.

If you want to read about David's and Giles' journey and see his work in progress, stop by Writing and Illustrating. It is being featured today.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Various animals munch through the pages with David's usual humor shining through. There are piranhas where advice is warranted: "When piranha's on the hunt,/you're wise if you retreat." And, much larger, but also in the water, the hippo eats at night. Did you know? They have "teeth like spikes" and in the wisest, but funniest, of an underlying meaning, David writes, "No one ever called/a hippo sweet." The poem shows the warning of just how very fast those un-sweet beasts can run!
When he writes about aardvarks, the poem ends with "No matter/how you try to hide–/you can't." A favorite reminds me of a memory I have. This poem shares all the things a seagull eats: "Darting fish,/leaping shrimp, bugs snatched in flight," and ending with "food from stashes/shaded by beach umbrellas." Once, I sat with a friend on the beach but under an overhang, about to take a bit of my sandwich when SWOOP, a seagull came flying through and grabbed it! As the poem says, "few with feathers/find more ways,/ to fill their bill."
You can find and enjoy poems about jellyfish, narwhals, houseflies, and more, even one animal that does not eat in David's new book of poetry. Giles Laroche fills the double-page spreads with luscious illustrations, where the cover says he creates with as many as eight layers, "drawing, cutting, painting, gluing". Each one takes me into that animal's world!
Added at the back are three different sections: "Swimming Eaters," "Land-based Eaters," and "Flying Eaters," which offer more information about each animal. There is also a bibliography for further reading.
Thanks to Charlesbridge for my copy!

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free electronic ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think three stars is low, but four is a bit high. I would say 3.5 is where it is at.

The poems are okay. They are mainly blank verse. Some are pretty cute, but nothing knocked my socks off. The artwork, on the other hand, did catch my attention. Great work there! I also thought the section in the back where there were some brief nonfiction prose descriptions of some of the animals.

Overall, I would say it is pretty good, but not great.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.1 ⭐s
-
"Poems about how creatures eat."

This was such a fun, informative read - I (an adult) learnt a few things from this book. However, I do think the poetry/verse itself is a wee bit advanced for some of the creatures for children to understand, but we (my son and I) definitely enjoyed it.

*The artwork was crisp and beautiful.

** My son's favorite poem was the "Koala" (mine too), because same, lol.

Thank you Charlesbridge & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Ande Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild Brunch is a picture book with beautiful illustrations of animals eating in the wild, and fun poems for each one. I really loved the illustrations, and some of the poetry was delightful. I did feel like a few of the poems did not have quite the right cadence, but that was probably a personal preference.

Thanks to NetGalley, David Harrison, and Charlesbridge for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

We loved this book!

This is a well written book that is brought to life with some wonderful illustrations.

The book had some great details and facts and I liked the layout. I love reading books like this with my daughter as it always sparks her interest to find out more.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful introduction to a few animals and how they eat. Some familiar animals and some new ones will be given a page to allow you to have a poetic peak into things. The illustrations are fun, sweet and while detailed, have a simplistic nature to them that allows most ages to enjoy. Good colors and educationally fun, this is a good book to have in home, school or public library collections.

[Kris Reguera · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a unique book! The illustrations are amazing works of art, and the poems, with a tiny bit of repetition ideal for children, are as entertaining as they are educational. As a teacher, I can see this one becoming a classroom tool, and I have never seen one of its kind. I would now love to read the two previous ones by the author.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

From houseflies to hippos . . . here are some unique poems about how a variety of creatures eat. I also liked the brief shoutout to the poor mayfly, whose time on earth is too brief to bother with a meal.

With wonderful illustrations by Giles Laroche.

Thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the read.

[Erica Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! This book takes scientific facts about the eating habits of animals and presents them via the artistic medium of poetry. A fun and unique way to engage more artistically inclined learners.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations, and the science of how animals eat.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poetry is good. I'm not a fan of the illustrations.

[Kariana Reads Kids' Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great book for learning about animal diets, but (in my opinion) not a great introduction to poetry.