From Publishers Weekly
Nature and civilization collide in this thought-provoking picture book based on the story of a boy discovered living alone in the mountain forests of southern France in 1800. Hunters are first to see the boy scampering in the woods, where he had survived on plants and berries and the icy mountain-stream water. Captured, the boy is later brought to Paris's Institute for Deaf-Mutes, where experts test and examine him, and finally determine that he is "hopeless." Happily, one doctor thinks otherwise and welcomes the boy into his home, teaching him skills and caring for him. "He will never learn to speak," the doctor eventually realizes. "He was alone in the silent woods too long. But he has learned to have feelings, and they can be hurt." Gerstein's (The Story of May) detailed and informative text clearly reflects a wealth of research; he is simultaneously publishing a novel, Victor, on the same subject (reviewed below). The smoothly paced writing sustains a mysterious and sometimes melancholy tone, in keeping with its subject matter. In loose-lined panel illustrations, Gerstein conveys an arc of emotions. He depicts the unrestrained joy of the boy cavorting nude in his natural surroundings, while scenes of capture are suitably darkened. Ultimately, the boy's home life in Paris appears warm and bright. Young readers will be fascinated, perhaps even spurred to further investigate the facts behind the story. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-In 1800, a preadolescent boy was found wandering in the forests near Saint-Sernin in southern France. This "feral" or wild child, who had somehow survived without human contact for years, became the object of intense study by French experts who labeled him as hopelessly retarded when they failed to communicate with him. However, a young doctor named Jean-Marc Itard was intrigued by the boy and took him into his home where they worked together for several years. Itard's careful observations and sensitive teaching allowed Victor, as he was named, to learn something of civilized life, although he never learned to talk. Gerstein has built The Wild Boy around these details and imagined Victor's life with great sympathy. The illustrations, executed in textured paint strokes and rough, crosshatched lines, evoke the untamed freedom of a child who lives purely for himself. The page design heightens the emotional tension and moves the story forward. Bright colors convey Victor's joyous connection to his natural world while a darker palette shows him in captivity. Softer hues portray the warmth of the Itard household but the overall blue tones evoke Victor's lost innocence and the human potential that was never realized. Children will be fascinated with this true-life survival tale and intrigued by the human need for socialization and interaction.
Barbara Kiefer, Teachers College, Columbia University, NYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
