Hey, wild thing! Are you about to start school? Then it’s time to get set for your wildest adventure yet.
Follow this simple guide and you’ll learn everything you need to know.
The familiar and much loved animals from previous Bunting tales “Mopoke, Kookaburra, Liarbird, Koala, Quokka, and a few new friends” guide you from starting the day just right (mmm, GumFlakes) to first day jitters, meeting teachers, making friends, lunch time, home time and all the things in between!
Laura and Philip Bunting’s latest picture book The Wild Guide to Starting School is an adorable, beautifully illustrated and incredibly funny guide to the beginning of the school year. How should one get to school? Behave in the classroom? Eat during lunch? Through the lens of animals and barnyard examples, practical advice fills the pages — some helpful, some purely humorous.
Whilst some young readers might cringe at the thought of reading a book about school, Laura and Philip Bunting have put together a really inviting, beautiful book to captivate even the most reluctant of young readers. By incorporating wild animals into the story, they’re appealing to children through the use of the familiar — quirky, cuddly zoo animals.
There isn’t much text to this book, as it’s predominantly relying on illustrations to carry the story. Philip’s illustrations are soft but colourful, and suited for readers of all genders. Together, Laura and Philip have built a beautiful suite of children’s books that I imagine look beautiful when collected and stacked together on a bookshelf.
Recommended for parents and children. I don’t have any children but I found myself chuckling along to this one, so I can imagine young readers really enjoying this read. Readership skews 4+
Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Wild Guide to Starting School
Laura and Philip Bunting
January 2022
Scholastic Publishers Australia