Something Wild

by Molly Ruttan

Performance jitters lead to some imaginative what ifs before a little girl finds her confidence.

Hannah loves to play her violin—as long as no one is watching. On the day of the recital, she’s wishing something wild would happen so she won’t have to go. Perhaps a dolphin will jump out of the fountain and carry her away, or a giant rabbit will abscond with her violin. Hannah’s big imagination dreams up all kinds of entertaining scenarios that could change the course of her day, but what actually happens is the most amazing of all!

Children and grown-ups alike will relate to Hannah’s stage fright and get a laugh out of all her wishful thinking. Most importantly, they will be right there beside her on recital day when something wild—and beautiful—happens.

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Childrens, Storytime, Juvenile, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published February 28, 2023

Reviews

[Christine Zandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah loves playing violin and has done so since she was young, but the recital has her stressed out and she wishes for something wild to happen to avoid having to play on stage in front of so many people. While this is about stage performance anxiety, the art and text are lighthearted and show that all of Hannah's practice will carry her beautifully through.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing about being outdoors is that in a matter of minutes something wild can happen. We are surrounded by the possibility of sensory situations. We can either seize these moments when they appear or dread the prospect of this occurrence.

The same can be said of any situation in which we find ourselves, regardless of where we are. We might be nervous or worried, but once we are in that moment, if we are doing something we love, everything and everyone else disappears. That passion we hold close to our hearts is released. Something Wild (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, February 28, 2023) written and illustrated by Molly Ruttan connects to that apprehension all of us feel at times. It shows us how that apprehension is transformed into something unexpectedly marvelous.

My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...

[Jill S · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOMETHING WILD by Molly Ruttan is a stunning book! The illustrations are beautiful and magical. The emotions that Hannah feels are clearly conveyed through the marriage of the text and illustrations. They’re emotions that I think everyone can relate to, whether it nerves about stage fright or another new challenge, young and old readers will find themselves in Hannah’s shoes. Her love of playing the violin is also relatable as it’s poetically expressed so kids can imagine their passions in the place of playing the violin (for those who don’t play the violin). What a magical, “wild” yet relatable journey that kids will want to read again and again for both comfort and excitement!

[Dano Moreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous and whimsical story that celebrates courage. As Hannah prepares for her recital, she feels nervous about being in the spotlight. She hopes something wild will happen to prevent her from performing—and imagines various animals swooping in to take her or her violin away on an adventure. As Hannah faces her fears and begins to perform, she finds a wild sense of wonder and joy after all. Molly Ruttan’s illustrations capture the magic of music and imagination, as well as the warmth of a supportive family. Highly recommend!

[Candace Spizzirri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author/illustrator Molly Ruttan spins an imaginative tale about overcoming fears. Hannah's stomach flips whenever she thinks about her upcoming violin performance and she wishes something wild would happen so she won't have to go. Perhaps a giant rabbit will hop off with her violin or a dolphin will whisk her away.
But on the day of the recital, Hannah discovers she is braver than she thinks. And something wild does in fact happen, but you'll have to read this delightful book to find out. The illustrations are gorgeous! 100% recommended!

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great to give for any child who gets music lessons and will eventually face a recital. It is all about the courage to step out there into the world and face your fear, whatever it may be. I originally thought it was supposed to be about wildlife, but it was about the way Hannah handled her fear. She imagined different animals saving her from going to the recital. When the time came, and no animals appeared, she played her violin well. That was the something wild she experienced in the end.

[Heather Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story takes you along the trail of anxiety and fear of performing in front of others all the way to the magic that happens when you push through. Beautiful and whimsical illustrations that glow and sparkle adds to this perfect gift for any child (whether they are worried about a show or presenting in front of their class). Or...a perfect gift for yourself as a little reminder that you can do this!

[Stephanie Gibeault · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Hannah who loves playing her violin but dreads doing so in front of an audience. On the way to her recital, she imagines “something wild” happening, like birds stealing her outfit or dolphins carrying her away, so she doesn’t have to go. In the end, she finds “something wild” on stage that’s all her own. The magical artwork captures Hannah’s imagination and emotions perfectly. An empowering tale about overcoming stage fright and learning you can do it after all.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was our newest Imagination Library gift for the month. I’m biased towards music themed books anyway, but this one was absolutely delightful, both for the girl’s love of music and her imagination. A great example for kids of “doing it scared”, and the positive outcomes that pushing oneself to do something outside of a comfort zone can have.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures of her imagination were beautiful.

A little girl is terrified of her coming recital, and imagines fantastical things that could keep it from happening. Nothing happens, and she has to play in front of people. She's so scared. But it ends up being fantastic.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book. Very "Where the Wild Things Are" with Hannah wishing something wild would happen to get her out of playing at the recital. Until she remembers how much she loves to play and something wild happens where she is able to move past her stage fright!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book about the fear of performing, and the power of music. Right up my alley as a musician, and so enjoyable for my kiddo that she asked to read it 3 times in a row.

Solid 4 stars

[Laura Roettiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story with magical art. Hannah loves playing her violin but not for an audience. She imagines the different things that could keep her from performing in the recital until the big day when the curtain opens … read it for yourself. I’m not here to give away the ending. This story brings back memories of my own talented child who didn’t love performing but with exquisite illustrations.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This relatable picture book is about a young musician dealing with performance jitters. She hopes that "something wild" will happen so that she won't have to perform, but after she imagines fantastical what-ifs, she does her performance and finds that the wild thing is the beauty and wonder that she experiences while playing her violin for an audience.

This will appeal to young people who enjoy playing an instrument but are nervous about public performances. It won't do much for kids who don't want to play their instrument, because even though the book validates common feelings and experiences, kids who suffer through their miserable recitals because they have no other choice won't connect with the joyful ending.

I, too, used to imagine "something wild" happening that would prevent me from having to perform. However, instead of imagining exciting flights of fantasy, I hoped for bad outcomes that I thought were still better than the recitals themselves. I hoped for a sudden illness to befall my family, or for us to get a flat tire, or for a tornado to rip through town. I also prayed for the rapture to happen, particularly once we'd already made it to the recital and I knew that the abrupt and sudden return of Jesus to earth was my only way out of this. I find it hilarious now, but I only resonated with the performance jitters in this book and not the happy ending.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! I love this one. We see a girl who loves her violin and loves to play music. Yet, she is terrified to play in front of people. The day of her recital, she keeps hoping something wild will happen to prevent her from getting to her recital. Things like dolphins in a fountain taking her away, or rabbits stealing her violing and hiding it in their burrow.

Nothing wild happens. She has to go on stage and she is so scared. Yet, her body knows what to do and once she starts playing, something wild does happen. Beautiful music happens and she is free and having fun.

I love the artwork. Colorful, bold and the imagination soars. I love the animals. They used Charcoal, pastels, acrylic paint and digital media to bring this story to life.

The message, a small one, is if you practice and you are ready, even if you are nervous, you're body will still know what to do.

As I've gotten older, I get more nervous to perform. It's gotten really bad too. My bladder goes wonky and I feel like I need to pee every 5 minutes. It's so painful, that I really don't enjoy performing any more. My nerves are just too out of control. So, I went the opposite way. Most people don't have to deal with that.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight! I love picture books like this where the illustrations truly help to tell the story. This one is so spot-on. I have always loved dance and theater and love to perform -- there's always a case of pre-performance jitters but it's part of the excitement of it all. In this case, our protagonist is perhaps a little beyond just the jitters to feeling rather terrified of playing violin at her first recital and many children can relate to this feeling. She wishes "something wild" would happen to prevent her from having to perform, and begins to imagine all sorts of wildlife interacting with her everyday life to prevent her from having to go. I love that it's very happy interactions, nothing scary. Yet, nothing does happen and the show does go on. When she beings to play the violin her imagination takes over yet again and something wild happens but not in the way she expected. The ending made me smile so much (I still remember my first bouquet of flowers from my first ballet performance!) A joy to read and a delight pore over the illustrations, too.
https://www.mollyruttan.com/something...

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah loves to play her violin and how it feels in her arms but she does not want to perform in today’s recital and hopes for something wild to happen so she doesn’t have to. The author/illustrator has birds swoop into her bedroom and fly off with her clothes, bunnies dig up into the family’s kitchen to create a ruckus and steal her violin, dolphins burst out of a water fountain and whisk her away but none of those things happen and her time to shine arrives. The message is clear-there is nothing wrong with being nervous, but you can do brave things despite those anxious feelings. Great topic for SEL lessons, plenty of opportunity to discuss feelings and ways to handle them, plus a terrific way to stimulate creative thinking about other wild things Hannah might have wished for. Illustrations are done is soft shades using charcoal, pastel, acrylic paint and digital tools. Target audience: age 3-8.

Thank you for a copy of this beautiful picture book, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely glorious ... the images are full of life and humor as little Hannah contends with the fears that can hold us back in life -- until at last her creative potential bursts forth into something truly incredible (in big and small ways both). The images are rich with detail, which will entrance kiddos who aren't quite up to reading yet. And the text and typography are accessible to those who are at the reading stage. And those of us who have been reading for decades ... there's plenty in the book for us, too! I bought a copy for myself and one as a gift for a little one, but I could see it also being an appreciated gift for grown-ups. Taking a leap as Hannah does can be tough for us all. The illustrations are just beautiful. The drawings are lively and have a comforting, organic quality to them. And the color is so expertly handled -- it becomes part of the story, building to a vibrant crescendo.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah loves playing the violin but she HATES playing it in front of people. As the day of the recital draws closer she keeps wishing that something wild would happen so she won't have to perform. But the recital comes and its her turn. Will she be able to play?

I'm kind of jealous of Hannah, the love of music never overcame my stage fright when I had flute recitals as a child. But I hope that this can help other musicians have a plan of how to combat their own stage fright. The illustrations are delightful. Hannah has a wonderful imagination of wild things that could happen to stop her from playing at the recital (they are always wondrous things instead of bad things, like being taken by dolphins to go frolic in the sea).

[Susan Karasic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book! Beautiful in story, message, and artistry. Hannah has stage fright, and does not want to go onstage. She daydreams all of these wild happenings that would keep her from going up there. But she overcomes her fear and is rewarded. I was Hannah as a young child, daydreams and all, except I did not go up on that stage. I never got over being afraid to speak or perform in front of an audience. If this book were written in my childhood, perhaps I would've been brave enough, inspired by Hannah. Molly Ruttan's books are all amazing, but "Something Wild" is particularly compelling. A must-read for any child to get them to take that first step.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a similar experience to Hannah's as a child. I sure wish I had this book back then. I still, as an adult, suffer from stage fright and reading this book to my granddaughter actually made me feel better! My granddaughter, who is outgoing and fearless, absolutely loved the book, and asks for it over and over. The story is so beautifully told, and the illustrations so charming and engaging, that clearly one doesn't need to suffer from stage fright at all to absolutely adore this book. I've ordered Ms. Ruttan's other books to complete my collection. I'm so happy to have discovered this fabulous children's author/illustrator!

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah loves to play her violin but is afraid to perform in front of other people. On the day of her recital she hopes something wild would happen to keep her from her performance. And --- it doesn't. There she is on stage in front of so many people! But then something wild DOES happen - her love of playing helps her overcome her fear of performing! If you teach anything that has a recital this would be a great book to read to your kids before performance. And add "The Whatifs" by Emily Kilgore to your stack, also! It goes into a bit more detail about fear of performance and overcoming that fear.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah loves to play the violin but she does not like the idea of the upcoming recital where she'll have to play the violin in front of lots of people. While she and her family are getting ready to leave for the recital, Hannah repeatedly wishes that something wild would happen so that she wouldn't have to go. But it never does. When Hannah finds herself finally on the stage, she is surprised to learn that something wild does finally happen: while she's playing.

A sweet story. I disagree that this is a "sensory" issue for the child. The child has stagefright and is simply nervous. Recommended for storytime.

[Lynn B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the delightful SOMETHING WILD, by Molly Ruttan, Hannah loves to play her violin, but she gets nervous when she thinks about playing in front of other people. On the day of the big recital, Hannah wishes for “something wild” to happen” so she won’t have to play. She dreams up a series of fantastical scenarios, but the wildest—and most wonderful—thing happens when Hannah is onstage. This lighthearted, whimsical look at stage fright is lovingly “brought to life with charcoal, pastel, acrylic paint, and digital media.” Loved it!

[Vivian Kirkfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know we can all relate to performance jitters…it happens every time I have a presentation – but as soon as I start sharing about my passion for writing, I feel much better. I’m sure that many children will relate to this as well.
Author/illustrator Molly Ruttan has given us a story that is authentic to her life experience...I love that! And the illustrations will just draw you right in. This book will be so helpful for any child...and for the adult who reads it with them. This is a beautiful and important book that belongs in every class library and home bookshelf!

[Molly Cranch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something Wild tells the story of a Hannah, a child who is experiencing stage fright about an upcoming violin recital. In an attempt to manage her nervous feelings about the violin recital, Hannah imagines that the world opens up and wild animals wisk her away. This is a beautifully illustrated story- the characters are adorable and the color scheme and mood changes as the worlds change. The story resolves with a feeling of accomplishment and support from those around her.

[Jolene Gutiérrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah has played the violin since she was little and loves it, but she doesn't want to perform in the upcoming recital...on stage, in front of an audience filled with lots of people. She wishes for "something wild" to happen that will save her from performing, but once the performance starts, Hannah finds her own wild something. Filled with luminous artwork, this book is perfect for anyone who's ever experienced stagefright. Highly recommended for classrooms, libraries, and homes!

[Judith Valdés B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who suffered from anxiety and fear of performing in front of others, I was happy to read SOMETHING WILD by author-illustrator Molly Ruttan. The stunning illustrations subtly complement the text, highlighting the internal feelings running through Hannah’s mind. Molly takes the reader on a journey of how a child’s inner and outer world is affected by the anxiety and fear of performing in front of audiences and ways to overcome those feelings.

[Norene Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Hannah! She loves playing her violin but not the thought of playing in her upcoming recital. This delightful story will the touch the hearts of anyone who has felt the same leg trembling, heart drumming, stomach queasy moments as Hannah while standing offstage waiting to perform. Kudos to author/illustrator Molly Ruttan for perfectly capturing those moments through her lyrical, sparse text and stunning illustrations. Highly Recommended!!

[Readosaurus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m obviously not the target audience for this, being an adult. The art is fantastic, so beautiful that it filled me with the urge to create. This, however, doesn’t detract from the fact that it feels a little lacking in wording. But. Big but. I can’t wait to read this to my itty bitty and see if she likes it. Fingers crossed, because I do want to read it over and over again, just to see the colors on the pages, so vibrant and stunning.