Violet and Jobie in the Wild
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- $1.99
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
“A gem of a story. ”—Booklist (starred review)
“A marvelous heroic journey. ”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A narrative centering family bonds and new experiences. ”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Newbery Medal winner Lynne Rae Perkins introduces Violet and Jobie, two house mice exiled to the wilderness, in an exceptional read-aloud and read-alone for fans of Skunk and Badger, Nuts to You, and classic animal stories such as Stuart Little. This thrilling—and funny!—animal adventure explores themes of friendship, family, bravery, and the meaning of home. Violet & Jobie in the Wild is illustrated in black-and-white throughout by the author.
Brother and sister mice Violet and Jobie live a cozy and comfortable life in a humans’ house, where food is plentiful, and the television is both educational and entertaining. In fact, Violet, tucked safely behind a book in the bookcase, loves to watch nature programs along with the young boy of the family. The boy’s mother, however, isn’t the biggest fan of mice.
When Violet and Jobie are caught in a trap, the young boy pleads with his mother to release them, and she agrees. Now Violet and Jobie find themselves in tall grasses, under tall trees, surrounded by all kinds of unfamiliar scents and sounds and creatures. In short, they find themselves in the wild. How will they survive?
This short, generously illustrated novel is packed with action, humor, heart, friendship, and surprises. Award-winning author Lynne Rae Perkins’s Violet & Jobie in the Wild will resonate with readers who love books about animals.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Indoor mice accustomed to cushy conditions learn to survive outdoors in this endearing novel by Perkins (Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea). Brother and sister mice Jobie and Violet are happy living in a warm human home, where their biggest dangers are "the cheese game"—the spring-loaded contraption from which they wrest snacks—and the household's two cats. When they are captured one day and left at a nearby state park, they're thrust into a life that Violet has seen only on TV program Nature Magnificent. They fumble mightily, and often humorously, in their naivete, just barely escaping predators, until they meet kind Zolian, self-proclaimed as "the oldest mouse ever." Zolian's wise counsel ("D.E.F.: Don't Exit the Foliage") proves invaluable to their survival and growing confidence. And as days pass, and Violet and Jobie follow separate paths, each forming a deep bond, both come to appreciate the shared beauty and peril around every corner. Balancing funny notes with a newfound sense of wonder, nimble text cleverly imagines the details of moving through the natural world in a mouse's body. Sprightly b&w pencil drawings add finely wrought detail to a narrative centering family bonds and new experiences. Ages 8–12.
