Author Brad Davidson and illustrator Rachel Más Davidson (I Like Your Face) collaborate on their third book for young readers, Teachers in the Wild, which cleverly and with great comic effect compares teachers outside their classrooms to animals in nature.
"Teachers are amazing!" asserts the cheerful, brown-skinned, braided narrator. At school, teachers are always in their classrooms, where they offer "warm smiles and cool handshakes," and "at the end of the day, they're always sad to see you go." But outside of school, teachers "behave very differently"; they "roam freely" and may be spotted anywhere, like a dentist's office, hair salon, or pet shop. They even camouflage themselves to look like "everyday people doing everyday things." While it can be shocking to discover a teacher in the wild, the narrator suggests that it's best to remain calm. They won't "bother you if you don't bother them," and they may even be surprised or confused to see you in your "natural habitat." However, if teachers and parents begin to tell stories about the student, the narrator recommends creating a distraction and fleeing. Luckily, in the classroom, things "will be back to normal"--at least until next time.
Throughout this amusing, warmhearted picture book, Brad Davidson uses matter-of-fact text to create his deft metaphor and normalize the "strange creatures" who prowl the pages. Rachel Más Davidson's humorous mixed-media illustrations expand on the text, exaggerating facial expressions, placing teachers and students in detailed "habitats," and highlighting the humor, such as when a student comes face-to-painted-face with a teacher at a soccer game. As the intrepid narrator exclaims, "It's all quite fascinating!" --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author