Customer Reviews

Meet Wild Boars

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The four boars in this book are really boors -- the kind of playmates no child would want. The text is ideal for read-aloud, and the illustrations are witty and sly. Be forewarned: Those offended by farts and poop need not apply. My 7- and 5-year-olds have asked for this every night since we brought it home from the library. I think it will turn up for a birthday or Christmas!

I've never laughed so much reading a book to my kids. The words are witty and the pictures are hilarious. Oh and the kids like it, too.

Not all adults are vegans, not all of us are patient, not all of us believe in angels. Kids know this. So why not vary their diet of Polar Expresses, Flopsy Bunnies and Flower Fairies with an amusing tale about life's darker facets. If you and your 5 year-old liked Walter the Farting Dog, which tells us that not all cuddly young puppies grow up to be loveable old dogs, you should pick up Meet Wild Boars. This quirkily illustrated book puts paid to any idea that animals in gingham dresses are automatically cute; Doris the Wild Boar and her pals are sly, spiteful, rude, malodorous and bent on destruction. Meg Rosoff has created a quartet of little monsters that kids will love to laugh at .

This funny, irreverent book is a favorite in my son's first grade classroom, where twenty children howled, stomped and snorted with laughter. The text is delicious and the illustrations are enchanting. Foul as they are, it's hard not to love Boris, Horace, Morris and Doris.

My two year old grabbed this book during one of our *leisurely* scrambles to find new reading material at the library. Like many parents of toddlers I don't have a lot of time to thoroughly review books while actually AT the library. This funny, quirky story of four naughty wild boars became an instant favorite of my son's -- and mine. So much so that I ended up buying it (and also searching Google for an acceptable plush wild boar to accompany it [see: http://www.stuffedark.com/boarhansa.htm], which my son now dresses as Doris, his favorite of the gang, and to whom he gives well-deserved time outs).

My son insists that I read the same books many, many times over, so it makes my job a lot easier when I enjoy the book too! I love the humor of this book, it is very fun to read out loud. The tone is imperatively conversational which has the effect of actively engaging the reader - and listener.

I suppose it is a bit crude (poop and farts and such) - but I guess that is part of what I personally love about it. It seems like the author/illustrator duo haven't "sanitized" their humor for a younger audience. To me that is actually respectful of their readership. My son knows the boars are naughty, he actually reprimands them as we read along. I think that is kind of the point of the book -- the kids reading it get to recognize bad behavior they might themselves have been accused of -- and even worse behavior yet! My son gets it, and he is just a bit over two.

I am happy to see that it there is another wild boar book on the horizon -- "Wild Boars Cook." I hope it is just as good!

Who would ever expect a children's book to feature a warning on the flyleaf? Meet Wild Boars is the exception, clearly stating that the creatures inside are dirty, smelly, rude and extremely bad-tempered, especially the ones in this story, Boris, Morris, Horace and Doris, a quartet of rude animals who don't care if you like them or not. Boris chases unsuspecting children with his tusks, Morris stomps treats to bits under his feet, Horace shorts laughter whenever anyone approaches and Doris is stinky, ugly and bossy all the time. Not much to recommend this story... then these very crafty boars promise to behave if they can come to your house for a visit. They swear to be on their best behavior and follow all the rules; they'll take baths and wash and even wear pajamas.

Don't you believe it! Wild boars couldn't behave even if they wanted to. Boris, Morris, Horace and Doris have no intention of doing as they promise, only looking for an opportunity to get inside and wreak havoc on your favorite toys, spreading their stinky smells everywhere as a reminder that they have visited. It is simply not in a wild boar's nature to get along with others or behave anywhere, anytime. These boars prove that sometimes things really are as they seem. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

Let's say it at the start - the wild boars are NOT pleasant. In fact, we can all agree there's no such thing as a nice wild boar. They make rude smells, they wantonly destroy your things, they tusk you if you do anything nice for them, they throw massive tantrums - and then they laugh when they blame it all on you.

And these are the main characters of this book, so if you or your child is incapable of understanding that *depicting* bad behavior is not the same thing as *endorsing* bad behavior, well, you've been warned.

For the rest of us, this is great. Two children (who inexplicably attend school with wild boars) go out of their way to be nice to the animals... and can find out from experience that it was a waste of time. There's no great moral lesson here, there *are* graphic displays of poo and farts, and it's all good fun for a certain age group.

I can't explain it, but there's just something charming about watching the boars wreak malicious havoc on everything.

I checked this book out of the library for my son, and the boars instantly won me over. Both the text and the illustrations are so funny and engaging that you can't help but love Boris, Morris, Horace and Doris.....even if they don't love you back.

I agree with the reviewer who said that kids are smart enough to understand that the world, and creatures in it aren't always all sweetness and light. I read tons of books to my son, and the cutsie pie themes can be more than a little cloying at times. In addition, the four little devils teach by negative example, which can be very effective.

This book details the truly awful behavior of the eponymous wild boars, and was an immediate hit with the the three-year-old boy demographic. Multiple re-reads have been demanded. Also, it's served as a brake on inappropriate behavior... "Are you being a wild boar??"

At last - we've finally found a book that Mom and Dad love as much as our kids do! This book is hilarious - laugh-out-loud funny for kids and adults. The illustrations are perfect and a crack-up just on their own. Usually I am dying to return books to the library by the time they are due - we are renewing this one until they won't let us keep it any longer! We can't wait for Wild Boars Cook to come out!