Jack, a red-head kid of about six years old, is playing an exciting game with his stuffed toy thylacine, Irwin, when his dad calls him 
to dinner. Dinner is a layered stack of leftovers—yuck! Even Dad, a muscled man with shaggy brown hair, a beard, and a tattoo peeking out from his sleeve, looks guilty at the mix of macaroni, jello, mashed potatoes, and brown glop he’s serving. Irwin, in Calvin and Hobbes-style, comes to life as soon as Dad is out of the room. He’s a head taller than Jack, walking on his hind legs and sporting a red bandana.
Irwin promises to teach Jack what “gross food” is really like and takes him in their teleporter (a classic brown box) to see what animals eat around the world. They visit Arctic terns on the Faroe Islands, blue-tailed ground lizards (and their prey—tarantulas) in Puerto Rico, and dung beetles in Nebraska. Each section introducing an animal concludes with a maze or seek-and-find activity and when Jack returns, he definitely feels differently about his own dinner!
The book segues into Jack’s next adventure, starting off with an imaginary game of pirates and moving into Jack’s reluctance to move homes. This trip with Irwin takes them to visit the vanishing habitats of the African wild dog, hyacinth macaws, and polar bears. At the end of their adventure, Irwin reminds Jack that his species, thylacines, are long-extinct as well and Jack decides his own move isn’t so bad after all.
Colorful, cartoon-style art shows the adventures of the pair in different habitats with more realistic art portraying the different animals they see. The art is not overly detailed, focusing on the different animals who are the subject of each adventure, but giving a general idea of their diet and living conditions. Jack wears different costumes for each exploration, from a safari outfit to Arctic explorer’s jacket, but Irwin always looks the same with his red bandana knotted around his neck. Irwin is a friendly adult presence, guiding Jack through the different adventures and explaining the things they see in child-friendly language.
There’s definitely a “eat your dinner there are starving children in the world” vibe to Jack’s adventures, as well as a strong “other foods are gross” theme, but I think most young readers are unlikely to notice or internalize these messages. They’re far more likely to be fascinated and grossed out by the different foods animals eat, interested in their habitats, and eager for more adventures with Jack and Irwin. Jack is portrayed as, and responds to events, like a fairly young child and I think kids will recognize this as well as immature behavior.
Young elementary students who are fairly fluent readers and enjoy animal facts and information will enjoy this blend of fact and fiction and it will fit well into classrooms studying habitats.
Jackson’s Wilder Adventures Habits & Habitats
By Sarah Davidson
Papercutz, 2024
ISBN: 9781545800843
NFNT Age Recommendation: Easy Readers (5-9)
