Title: It’s a Jungle Out There

Written by: Tracy Gunaratnam

Illustrated by: Valentina Fontana

Published by: Maverick Books

It’s a Jungle Out There is a delightful picture book from Maverick Publishing ideal for reading out loud to a class or child at home. The children will love the idea of a nit picker and be entertained by the exuberant hairstyles of the stylist. The jungle animal theme is brilliant.

Panzee is bored of nit picking in the jungle and wants a more challenging job. When the king of the jungle suggests she styles the other animals hair she is in her element but when Bouffant Bill the royal stylist is summoned the king still announces her as the royal nit-picker, much to Panzee’s dismay.

However the animals revelry and crazy antics are not suited to such bouffant and extravagant hairstyles and wigs. So their hair soon gets in a mess again and they need to return to the stylist. The royal stylist throws down his scissors as he is stressed, overworked and thoroughly exhausted but refuses to simplify his hairstyles.

This is a story about self-fulfilment and finding out exactly what makes you happy. I particularly adore the illustrations and colour palette. Valentina Fontana does not use bold outlines for the characters which give them a more natural feel.

A great addition to the class book corner. It’s a Jungle Out There could also be used to compliment Key Stage One topic work on life in the jungle.

You can buy a copy of, The Very Best Beast by Alison Green and Siân Roberts, direct from the publisher Maverick Publishing, from your local bookshop, or you can also purchase a copy online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.

I would like to thank Maverick Publishing for sending me a review copy of The Very Best Beast to review on my blog.