Wild Boars Cook by Meg Rosoff, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

The best picture books are about food and naughty animals. They just are. And if you can add a large mollusk, it's even better.

This book has it all. Food? Massive pudding! Naughty animals? Horrible wild boars. Large mollusk? That is one big squid.

Boris, Morris, Horace, and Doris, despite their clothes and apparently having a house, are undeniably wild boars. They have long skinny snouts, spindly legs, plump bodies, and wicked little eyes. Boris, Morris, Horace and Doris are nasty and stinky and rude. They are absolutely wild boars.

And they're hungry! After discovering (and partially devouring) a cookbook, they set out to bake a massive pudding, complete with chocolates, doughnuts, butter, puddles, and a squid (but no broccoli). Their creation is gorgeous, although the squid looks rather startled, and it's gone in seconds flat, because wild boars have no table manners. But don't worry, Doris still has the cookbook...

To get the full flavor of this book, heh, heh, heh, you have to read it with tons of expression. If you can wave your hands around a little bit too, that helps. Plus a little Southern accent on the "wiiiiiild boars!" and lots of yelling and excitement over the ingredients.

Verdict: Rosoff and Blackall have another Wild Boars title, Meet Wild Boars, but Wild Boars Cook is the one you really need, plus an extra copy for your storytime collection, to be pulled out in emergencies.

ISBN: 9780805072536; Published September 2008; Reviewed from my personal collection; Purchased for the library; Purchased for my personal collection