Author/illustrator Brouwers draws parallels between Mother Nature and human nature in this celebration of the interconnectedness of all living things. Page after page of atmospheric watercolor artwork shows wildings at home in their natural habitats. Playful monkeys swing gracefully in forest trees; a buffalo lounges majestically in a muddy wallow; a flock of Egyptian geese soar above a river; and more. Simple, spare text narrated in the first-person plural "we" encourages us to recognize ourselves in nature and embrace the feral instincts hard-wired into us all: "We are wild beings. / Born curious and strong"; and "We love to run free / and leap into flight"; and so forth. To further the point, Brouwers integrates human imagery into her paintings of wild landscapes, sometimes in the form of hidden images--discerning viewers will detect human footprints, hands, and shadows as well as silhouettes (which occasionally recall prehistoric cave wall paintings) of children that leap, climb, and run alongside their animal counterparts, making for a fun seek-and-find. The illustrations are reminiscent of figurative collage, with monoprinted details, nature-inspired textures, layered translucent glazes, and animal portraits that sometimes have a photographic quality. The book's visuals will engage animal lovers, while the short text (culminating in a "ROAR!") makes for an agreeable read-aloud for the younger set. An invitation to cultivate our wild selves and our inextricable bond with the natural world. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Breathtaking full-color double spreads celebrate the glory of wildness as reflected in the animal kingdom. The illustrations, created with lush backgrounds in watercolor and overflowing with detailed monoprints of different creatures, display animals in their environments. The simple text supports the almost self-explanatory pictures, showing the endless diversity in our natural world. Starting with a busy jungle replete with 13 monkeys who hang, swing, lope, and play in there, pages progress with examples of a pair of fierce mountain goats, a howling wolf, leaping deer, a flock of flamingos, burrowing rabbits, a breaching whale, napping bats, and more. Observant children will find evidence of humans in those spaces, whether it be their shadows, their footprints, or even their hands building a grass necklace. The endpapers show the many footprints animals and humans can leave, and provide a fun nature lesson for honing children's identification skills. Certain to encourage children's love of exploring their own wild and free sides.